A Hope in Hell
by Walking Saint
Summary: After the Greene's farm was overrun with walkers, the survivors from Atlanta found another place. It came as a surprise, a very welcoming one for that matter, for it was a place that, with a little bit of joint effort, could be their safe place, their particular haven... but nothing surprised them more than what found them. Other survivors. Future Daryl/OC. R&R. HIATUS
1. Resurgens

**A HOPE IN HELL  
**

**Summary:** After the Greene's farm was overrun with walkers, the survivors from Atlanta found another place. It came as a surprise, a very welcoming one for that matter, for it was a place that, with a little bit of joint effort, could be their safe place, their particular haven... but nothing surprised them more than _what found them_. Other survivors.

**Pairings:** Eventually, this is going to be a Daryl/OC fic. Other pairings to be added.

**Author's Note:** English isn't my first language and this fic is Un-Beta'ed so pardon me if there are way too many mistakes. I'm looking for a Beta tho. If it interests you, send me a message! Thank you very much! Also, rating might change.

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_"When a world ends, there's always something left over. A story, perhaps, or a vision, or a hope..."_

**Sandman #51, "A Tale of Two Cities"**

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**I.** _Resurgens_

It was just another cold, dark night in the state of Georgia.

The sky was completely pitch black; it was new moon's night, meaning there was no sign of the white globe to bring some light to that part of the world, and there were only a few stars creating tiny white holes on the inky black ceiling up above. Though, down there, the story was slightly different. There was a hole in the darkness. Two holes actually, created by the headlights of a silver Dodge Ram 2500 — the only vehicle crossing those deserted roads...

The person driving that rather big truck was a young woman who kept her eyes that seemed to be made out of two round pieces of coal glued to the road ahead, though every now and then, they drifted from the road for a couple of seconds and focused on the watch she had on her left wrist.

It was 3:47 a.m., not five minutes since the last time she checked the time, and damn, she was almost twice as tired.

She let her right hand slid from the steering wheel and turned up a little the volume of the radio. She'd been driving for the past twelve hours straight. And she'd been doing this alone.

_Don't do it,_ she scolded herself as she rubbed her eyes in order to stay awake.

She didn't have time for that. She couldn't let her thoughts wander, because they would always drift to that one dark place that she just couldn't afford to visit. Not now. Not ever.

The whole world was gone.

Long ago, she couldn't even grasp how long it's been, the world she once knew had gone straight to hell, everyone she knew was probably dead or worse and she had just—

"I said _don't_, dammit!" This time, she hadn't just thought. No. Through gritted teeth, she said it as loud as she dared to.

She wanted to yell at the top of her lungs and curse the whole universe for throwing her in the middle of that crap right now but she couldn't. She couldn't afford losing her grip on the situation, she didn't have time to fall apart and she didn't have the luxury to freak out... not when there was another human being depending on her.

As soon as those words crossed her mind, she allowed her eyes to look elsewhere but the road for the first time in a very long while and she glanced at the backseat, where a small figure was soundly asleep, completely oblivious to the world.

Despite the hell that was going on outside their truck, the little girl was the image of heavenly peace. Locks of her platinum blonde hair were spread through the fluffy pillow, forming some sort of halo around her head; her eyes were shut, her mouth slightly open, her right hand was tucked under her head and the left one was holding tightly onto a plushy toy, a stuffed white and gray wolf, beneath the ivory wool blanket that she had on top of her... The five year old girl looked like an angel.

She felt her ragging emotions subside, quieting down a bit at the sight of such peacefulness. That until she felt hints of veiled jealousy taking over her body... She felt jealous of the fact that the child could lie down, close her eyes and sleep... It seemed like an eternity or two since she last had a decent night of sleep herself.

Thinking about that made her yawn and she forced herself to look straight ahead once again and pay attention to the roads. She couldn't mess up, so she tightened her grip on the steering wheel, locked her eyes back on the road ahead and tried to conjure a happy thought — or some less painful memory since she just couldn't remember what "happy" meant anymore... now, more than ever, happiness sounded like some foreign word which she didn't know the meaning.

It took her a few moments but she succeeded. She was able to shove all of her feelings and unwelcome thoughts aside and lock them all behind thick doors somewhere deep down. She didn't fool herself, believing that it would all go away like that because it wouldn't. In fact, if there was one thing she was sure of was... What was it that she heard once?_ All the bad things— they stay with you. They follow you everywhere you go. As much as you want to, as hard as you try to, you cannot escape them..._

Yeah. She hated those words and she hated whoever said them... because they were so stupidly true. It was true and she didn't need a goddamned apocalypse to happen for her to embrace it; hell no. She had her share of shit to keep her up all night, constantly haunting her wherever she went to...

"You're slipping," she reminded herself quietly as she ran a hand through her wavy dark hair. "Hold it together, girl. Hold your shit together for the sake of—"

"Mommy..."

Her thoughts were instantly interrupted by the low voice coming from the backseat. It was a soft and angelical voice, but at the same time, it was drenched in a heartbreaking pain.

The woman quickly turned her head to check on the little girl and, what she saw, made her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. The kid's angelical features were twisting and she was struggling with the blanket that was still on top of her.

"Mo-mommy... Mommy!"

The girl's voice kept rising and rising until she was almost screaming. That was enough for her.

Even though she knew the dangers that lurked in the night, how she shouldn't waste the already scarce gas that was left, even though she knew she shouldn't pull out in the middle of Lord knows where, she did it anyways. She brought her truck to the side of the road, kept the engine running and, making sure the doors were locked, she turned her full attention to the distressed girl on the back.

The little blonde still had her eyes shut tight and was still tossing and turning; God only knows how she didn't fell off the seat.

Turning her back to the road, the woman reached out a hand and placed it on the little girl's arm. "Annie," she called her, but she wasn't waking up. Instead, she flinched even harder and let out a low cry.

"Mommy!"

A sharp pain spread through her entire body; she could almost feel the kid's angst. "Annie, sweetie, wake up... _Analeigh!_"

The little girl, Analeigh, finally snapped her eyes open. "Mommy!"

The woman swallowed hard. She wasn't Analeigh's mommy. The two of them were not even slightly related but still, looking at the little girl on the verge of crying, she felt just as sad as she knew her mother would be, after all, they've been together for months now.

"Come here, sweetheart," she said when tears started to fall down the girl's cheeks like waterfalls.

Analeigh quickly kicked the blanket away and, still holding onto the stuffed wolf for dear life, she climbed her way to the dark-haired woman on the driver's seat and buried her head on the woman's chest, all curled up.

"I mi— I miss mo-mommy... Auntie Dee-dee, I m-miss my mo— my mommy..."

By now, the woman whom Analeigh referred to as _Auntie Dee-dee_ had grew used to having little girl calling her like that. Her name was Addison, but she didn't mind the nickname. For all she knew, she was the only thing that little girl had in this fucked up world and, as of right now, Annie was one of the very few things that kept her going.

"I know you do, sweetie," Addison whispered softly. She wrapped her arms tightly onto the little girl's petite frame and, resting her cheek against the top of Analeigh's blonde head, she began to rock back and forth in order to try to soothe the girl that was crying her eyes out. Addison had also made sure to turn the truck's engine off in order to save some gas and not attract the undead's attention. "I know..."

"And Un-cle Ni—Nick..." A sob ripped through the girl's throat and, in all honesty, Addison felt as if someone had shoved a knife with a blind blade on her chest.

"I know, honey..."

Addison's voice was shaky._ Why did Analeigh have to mention Nick? I was almost getting over it..._

It was a lie. Addison was just fooling herself and she knew it. She knew she was nowhere near getting over anything, let alone the only thing that she had left from her prior life... but she needed to. She was determined to put it all behind the Great Wall of Addison and just move on. For the sake of everything and everyone...

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Addison pushed back the image of Nick and whatever memories from a past that was not coming back that were circling her already messed up interior, brought one hand to the back of Analeigh's head and gently stroked it while trying to shush her down. Addison prayed to whoever was hearing for none of those creepy creatures find them there. She just couldn't deal with walking corpses right now...

Analeigh let out another strangled sob and Addison felt helpless. There was really nothing she could do to ease the girl's suffering right now... Hell, she was pretty miserable herself! But, even though she felt like she was carrying the weight of the whole world upon her shoulders, having a five year old sad girl in her arms made Addison forget about everything else and just focus on what really mattered.

_No one would believe if they saw me... The heartless, lone wolf Addison Blanchard-Flannery getting on her motherly side... Talk about some plot twist!_

Smirking at her own thoughts (and frowning at them at the same time), Addison held little Analeigh until she could no longer hear the little girl's sobs or could feel her tears soaking the front of her white shirt.

#

As the dark sky started to turn into a slightly lighter blue, Rick Grimes took a deep breath and shifted in the same spot he'd been sitting for a damn long time now. He suspected it should be around four, perhaps five in the morning so he had spent the entire night at that place.

Well, at least he lived enough to see a new day...

His muscles were all sore from the tough night and a sharp pain shot through his entire body as he stood up and stretched out. Another day was starting and he and the remnants of the group that made it out of the Greene's Farm should start moving sooner rather than later if they wanted to stay alive...

.

Even though they had lost people when the farm was overrun by walkers, it had to be a miracle that that many survivors got out of there unharmed. How they managed to escape that hell and avoid being slaughtered, bitten or even scratched by that massive horde of walkers should have been a miracle — you know, in that apocalyptical sort of way but a miracle nonetheless.

Their great escape didn't come without a cost. Hell, no. There were losses. From the Greene's group, Patricia and Jimmy were gone. From Rick's people, they had no idea what happened to Andrea. Shane was also dead and, even though that was a whole different story, even though there was a lot more to that than anyone would ever understand, it was also a loss. Another survivor that fell while fighting that war that seemed to have erupted from the depths of hell. It was just... It was just unreal.

They were living through that, day after day for a quite long while now but it still felt so unreal. How their world turned into what resembled a Hollywood movie with the script of a horror slash zombie theme was just unimaginable. No one would ever think such thing was possible, until it happened. Everything collapsed, even the stability of that group of survivors.

_Survivors._

That single word echoed in Rick's mind during the entire time in which he sat on the hard ground, with his back resting against a tree and nothing but darkness surrounding him. If he was honest enough, he'd have admitted that he felt that same darkness creeping up on him, embracing his thoughts and just adding more to the already heavy burden he'd been carrying.

_What am I turning into?_

The question resounded in his head for a very long time; Rick knew it would remain unanswered.

He remembered Dale's words. Right before he was killed by a walker, he spoke his mind and let it very clear that the world had changed, but whether they would change or not, it was up to them.

He didn't know if he agreed with it or if it just happened without him noticing, but Rick Grimes has changed. The man he was before the outbreak was gone. He was gone and gave place to someone that not even Rick could recognize anymore. He could be the same person on the outside, but on the inside...

The world has changed. The reality they were living now was a lot different. It was ugly, cruel, cold and harsh... Rick shivered when he acknowledged that those same adjectives would fit the description of something else. Himself.

Letting out a tired sigh, he shut his eyes closed and tilted his head backwards until it was also touching the hard wood. He was tired. Hell, he was exhausted. Every single cell of his body was hurting, aching, begging for some rest but Rick knew such thing wouldn't happen. He was sure that he wouldn't have any rest anytime soon.

_Ain't no rest for the wicked_, he thought to himself and as those words crossed his mind, he almost laughed out loud. Wicked.

Rick let out another sigh as he brought his head up again so he was looking directly at the small group of people that were gathered around a pit that once a fire burnt.

Looking at the people's figures, illuminated by the shy brightness of dawn, Rick tried to remember how life was before it all started, before the dead didn't stay dead... He couldn't really remember how it was. He tried really hard to bring back the memories but he felt like he was trying to remember a dream, and each time he tried to think of it, things just started to fade.

So he gave up. Ultimately, he gave up on trying remembering of something that wasn't coming back. Not right now, and he was starting to doubt if they ever would.

What if that was all that they had left? What if their entire life would be just like that from now on? Was it worth it? The pain and the suffering and the horror? Was it worth it?

Part of Rick's mind was telling him no. No, it's not worth it. What kind of life it is, where all they would do was to run and hide? That was no life... But the other part of Rick's mind was telling him yes. Yes, it was worth it. Because, despite everything, there was hope. There should be hope. Humans have been through all sorts of things and at some point, they all thought they wouldn't make it, but they did. We always do. Always.

.

The events of the last couple of nights were too fresh on everyone's mind so when Rick approached the group, the first thing he noticed was the thick atmosphere.

Apparently, Rick wasn't the only one who hadn't had any sleep that night. Everyone had this wary expression plastered in their faces and, judging by the looks he was receiving from a few people, the former Deputy Sheriff knew this was going to be a damn long day...

"T-Dog," Rick said, and the young African-American man looked at him with attentive eyes. "You take watch," he instructed. "I'll find Daryl and we'll search the woods for something to eat."

T-Dog simply nodded and grabbed his shotgun that was lying right next to him so he could take his place to watch their improvised camp site.

.

Daryl was just a few yards away from where the group was gathered. Like Rick, the younger Dixon had sat outside throughout the night, watching for any walkers - none showed up, thankfully.

The younger man noticed Rick before he joined him. His sharp senses heard footsteps and he peeked over his shoulder to find the other man walking towards him.

"Thinkin' 'bout hitting the road already?" Daryl asked as he resumed his task of watching the surroundings. His Southern accent kicking in and lingering in every word he uttered.

"Nah," Rick said once he stopped right beside him. "I was thinking we could go for some hunting."

Daryl furrowed an eyebrow, addressing a curious glance at Rick.

"You 'n I? Hunting?" That was something he most definitely was not expecting to hear.

"We haven't eaten anything for over a day," Rick said with a shrug. "What d'you say?"

Daryl studied Rick for a couple of seconds. There was logic in what the former Sheriff was saying. He was famished and he knew it wouldn't do good if they continued to wander around like that - they'd only be easier prays to those walkers. So he nodded.

Sliding his crossbow over his shoulder, Daryl looked at Rick and simply said, "I say let's do it."

The two men entered the woods and started their search for food. Rick was always a step behind Daryl because, truth be told, his tracking skills were minimal, pretty damn close to inexistent, so he stayed behind, covering Daryl's back whilst he did the job practically on his own.

Every now and then, Rick caught a glance of Daryl and he could see that he really knew what he was doing.

When they first met, Rick had thought the man was just another redneck, conflict-prone that was into starting fights or shit like that as his older brother, but he couldn't be more wrong. Sure there was that side of Daryl Dixon that was exactly what he thought at first, but there was more to the blonde guy than meets the eye. For starters, Daryl wasn't ignorant. He was hard to deal with, had quite a temper and an attitude that had some room for improvement but he was not ignorant. In fact, he was actually quite smart and, honestly, he was pretty important to the group.

So, since Daryl was the expert of the duo, Rick tried to enjoy the calm and beauty of the forest as much as he could; but the truth was there wasn't that much to enjoy. There were no birds singing, nor any other type of animal life except for him.

"I'm gonna check over there," Rick whispered to Daryl and indicated some point to their right. Just like he expected, his unexpected comment earned a weird look from Daryl. "Look for berries or something," he explained loosely. In all honesty, Rick just wanted to be alone for a while.

Daryl didn't seem to mind what Rick wanted to do or anything, so he just nodded and continued his way further into the forest with his crossbow at ready.

Now alone in the middle of nowhere, Rick kept a hand on his gun and the other on the knife he carried on his side. You never know when a walker is going to show up out of the blue. So he kept his attention on any sound that could break the deadly silence, prepared to attack. Nothing happened, though.

Slowly, he kept walking through the green forest, with his attention scattered everywhere else except where he placed his feet. With a strike of luck, he kept himself from going over a hill and possibly die if his head hit any of the boulders that threatened to fall - or worse, breaking a leg or something and getting caught by the living dead.

His eyes rose from the edge and what he saw caught him by surprise: just a few yards ahead of him, in the middle of nowhere, was a stone fortress rising from the ground with fences around, protecting the imposing building. There were towers in each corner of the field, vigilant guardians of what happened on the inside... and the outside.

What he supposed to be a prison suddenly seemed like the perfect shelter. It seemed as if no one could get inside those gates, but there was a voice inside him that urged him to try. That place was their best shot at surviving.

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_**Resurgens**: Atlanta's Motto; Latin for "rising again"_

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**So, this is the first chapter; let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!**


	2. West Georgia Correctional Facility

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything but my OCs. Still working on the plot but, just so you know, I haven't read the comics so, any resemblance to the plotline from the comics is purely coincidental.

**Author's Note:** Thank you everyone who's reading this and special thank you to those beautiful souls who were kind enough to leave a review! I very much appreciate all of you! So, here's a new chapter for you all and it's still un-beta'ed, but here's to hoping that there aren't many grammar mistakes and things like that.

Oh, and about the prison; I did some research and I found its name would be "West Georgia Correctional Facility" so I'm going with that.

Hope you like it and let me know what you think!

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**II.** _West Georgia Correctional Facility_

From inside her truck, Addison watched as the darkness of another cold night slowly faded onto a lighter shade of blue as the sun slowly started its trek across the sky.

_And so I spent another night awake... Yay me._ She yawned. Addison wasn't one bit excited over her sleepless night. In fact, she was grumpy, moody, stressed, all of her nerves were in tatters and she was on the edge._ Boy, this is wrong in so many levels. This is the kind of shit that gets one killed..._

She shook her head, silencing that little voice inside. It was right, though. That was exactly the kind of shit that, if she carried on for too long, would get her and Analeigh killed. Or worst: bitten.

A shiver ran down her spine as she thought about what would be the outcome if such thing happened. She never believed that there would come a day in which she'd fear someone biting her more than anything else... Then again, she never thought that a zombie apocalypse would actually happen, and, at the age of twenty four, she would have a five year old girl to take care of who wasn't her own kid... Though, there she was.

Addison should be getting a hold of the task at hand because it had become an automatic reaction: whenever Analeigh showed up in her thoughts, she instantly searched for the little Blondie, and right now, Addison found herself looking at her right side since Analeigh was once again sleeping, though this time, on the passenger seat.

She had tried to convince the projectile of a person to climb back onto the back seat where she'd be more comfortable (not to mention _safer_), but whatever dreams — make that nightmares — she'd been having, scared her enough for her to want to be by Addison's side.

It was a great thing that she didn't have to pay attention to other cars on the road, traffic or things like that because Analeigh not only sat on the passenger seat, but she also clung on to Addison's right hand for dear life for a while, making a bit harder for her to drive since the Ram wasn't automatic. But, at some point between 5 and 6 a.m., Analeigh let go of her hand and, right now, the dark-haired woman had both hands holding tightly onto the steering wheel like her life depended on it.

In fact, their lives now depended on Addison's driving skills and so many others so that they could get, safe and sound, to their destination... Thinking about where they were heading to, made Addison's thoughts wander to a while back.

_"This is crazy, Addie!" he said through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing through Addison's. "For the love of God, think about what you're saying! Think about you and me... Hell, think about Analeigh! This- this is madness!"_

_Addison glared at the man in front of her._

_Six feet tall, slim figure, dark blonde hair almost reaching his broad shoulders, piercing green eyes, straight nose, lips pressed into a hard thin line as he bore his gaze on to Addison. Nicholas Holden - also known as Uncle Nick by Analeigh - was an old and good friend of Addison's. He was three years older than her, but they knew each other for almost twenty years now. Their parents were close friends so they grew up together._

_"You don't think I'm doing it already?!" Addison hissed back at him. "That's all I have in mind, Holden! You and Annie. That is _all _I have in mind right now!"_

_Shifting his weight, Nick ran a hand through his face and looked away from Addison for a while. Whenever she addressed him by his surname, that meant she was downright furious. He didn't even need to look at her black eyes to know they were burning with anger. She was pissed off. But so was Nick._

_They were currently staying in a small house, just a few miles away from the urban perimeter of Druid Hills, Georgia. They had gone there to check the CDC but the place was a dead end. There was nothing but a huge pile of debris darkened by a fire and a bunch of undead._

_"Are you really?" Nick snapped at her, fixing his green eyes on to her black ones once again._

_They've been trying to keep their voice low; neither wanted to draw the attention of the undead that most definitely were lurking outside but, more than that, they didn't want to wake the little girl that was sleeping soundly on the couch, just a few steps from where they were standing._

_Neither Nick nor Addison broke eye contact. They held each other's deadly glare for what could have been an eternity or two; it was like a battle of titans... and Addison won it._

_"Jesus, Addie, what do you think we'll find in Dallas?!" Nick blurted out as he finally blinked and rubbed his face with one hand and placed the other in his hip. His tone was significantly softer, just like his whole demeanor; he didn't want to argue. Not anymore. "We've already crossed Florida and Georgia... Everything looks just the same!"_

Everything looks just the same.

Nick's words echoed in her mind and tears started pooling in her eyes.

_God, Nick, you're so wrong. Things are not the same. You're not here..._

Addison inhaled deeply and, as she blinked, a couple of tears fell down her cheeks, leaving a glowing path. She forced herself to breathe; she couldn't cry, she couldn't lose it, she couldn't—

"Auntie Dee-dee?"

Analeigh's angelical voice made Addison flinch. She inhaled deeply and quickly brushed her tears away. Too late, though. She could feel Analeigh's eyes fixed on her profile and she knew the little girl wouldn't miss the tears in her eyes...

"Are you okay?" Analeigh whispered softly and she reached out and placed a hand on Addison's thigh.

"Yeah," Addison replied rather quickly. Her voice sounded hoarse, and she swallowed hard, hoping it would just go away — and take all of her painful memories with it. "Yes, honey. Auntie Dee-dee is fine."

Addison tried to smile reassuringly at Analeigh, but her grey eyes were coated with deep concern.

"Why are you crying then?" she said softly, her voice slightly shaky.

_Great job, Addison... Really fucking great. Now you have scared the little girl. Way to go._

Addison took another deep breath and managed to shove whatever remnants of her minor internal fit away (this time, for good) and she mustered the best happy face she could at the moment, giving the circumstances.

"I'm just tired, sweetie," Addison said, flashing her best smile at Analeigh.

She then noticed something flashing through Analeigh's eyes, something that resembled pain in Addison's opinion... And she knew exactly what was going on inside the little girl's head.

Addison held the steering wheel tightly with her left hand as her right one covered Analeigh's and gave it a soft squeeze.

"Hey... How about we make a small stop for some breakfast?" Addison said quickly, trying to direct Analeigh's thoughts towards a different direction than the one that was making her sad. "I think Mr. Murphy is hungry... aren't you, Murphs?" she said, addressing a quick look to the fluffy wolf she was hugging.

Addison's attempt to distract Analeigh actually worked. As soon as she mentioned Analeigh's plushy toy — aka Mr. Murphy —, the toddler opened a smile and, after some communication with Mr. Murphy, she nodded emphatically.

"Mr. Murphy says he's hungry," Analeigh revealed sounding happier than before. "And he needs to go to the bathroom," she added in a murmur.

"Well, of course he does!" Addison replied, playing along. "We'll make a stop right away then, Mr. Murphy."

_Thank God for Mr. Murphy,_ Addison thought to herself, because that stuffed animal was really a blessing in disguise. The way he'd distract Analeigh from anything, that was more than she could ever ask for...

At the same time that making a stop gave Addison the chills, it also made her feel slightly better. She'd been driving that truck for longer than she would have liked to; it was a rather big vehicle, but she was feeling like a tuna in a can. All of her muscles were sore and her head was heavy — she could use a break... Besides, it was already eight in the morning and she had the sunlight in her favor.

Looking around, Addison found a rather large clearing with a stream nearby.

"Alright," she said, pulling out of the road. She killed the engine of the truck and turned to face Analeigh. "I'll have a look around," she added and the look in the girl's face didn't go unnoticed. Analeigh was startled. "Stay in the car until I get back, okay?"

"Auntie Dee-dee..."

"Annie, do as I say. Lock the doors and stay in the car, okay? I promise I won't be long."

.

Addison felt every single muscle of her body stretch as she stepped out of the truck. It was painful but, at the same time, the best feeling ever. It meant she was alive, what else she could possibly want?

_Well, the end of this freaking nightmare would be awesome for starters,_ she thought bitterly to herself as she straightened the heavy black trench coat she was wearing. Her hands automatically reached for the hunting knife that she had strapped to her left thigh as her eyes surveyed ever so carefully her surroundings.

She was standing on the side of a secondary road surrounded by woods. Big, tall trees on both sides of the small, empty road she was driving through. It was a view she was almost used to seeing by now, though it still had her on the edge. If she got stranded in the middle of a place like this, alone, with a kid, no gas... Addison shook her head, dismissing that ominous though. She really didn't need to start picturing worst case scenarios in her head. Her situation at the moment was bad enough.

Retrieving a rubber band from the back pocket of her jeans, Addison pulled her wavy hair on a ponytail as she walked towards the bed of the truck and retrieved two sets of weapons from a medium-sized bag: a .9mm SIG-Sauer with a suppressor that she placed on a holster along with two extra clips fully loaded that she stashed on an inside pocket of her trench coat, and, after some hesitation, she picked a modern recurve black bow and a quiver full of arrows.

She slid the handle of the quiver around her shoulders and tightened her grip around her bow. Admittedly, Addison knew her bow and arrows were the kind of weapons that one out of a thousand people would consider picking in the event of a zombie apocalypse... but she was well versed on the art of archery, and the fact that they were considerably quieter than a hand gun, shotgun or other guns for that matter, made that the number one choice for her. She didn't want to draw any unwanted attention, and if she could avoid it, then that's what she'd do. That's how she managed to survive up until now.

Shutting the lid closed, Addison carefully walked around the truck. As she passed by the passenger's door, she told Analeigh to lock the doors once more. The look on the little girl's eyes was heartbreaking - she was scared and her grey eyes were getting wet - but, even though Addison hated leaving Annie alone, she still had to do it because she really didn't want to be surprised with undeads bashing at her window or surrounding the car. She didn't need that.

So, stepping on the tip of her feet so she could hear any movements around her, Addison ventured slightly afar from the Ram, searching the place for unwanted company

#

Due to its purpose of holding the most dangerous share of the population (at least before hell broke loose), the West Georgia Correctional Facility was by far the safest building they all laid eyes on in a very long while.

Three high fences surrounding the entire place with razor wire on top of it, security gates, observation towers... Just like any other Correction Facilities spread throughout the country, West Georgia was pretty much a fortress.

"Think about the possibilities," Rick spoke, looking at everyone of his group. They were a few yards away, staring at the recent discovering. "Weapons. Food. Medication. _Shelter_... We can survive there."

"Yeah, _if_ we don't get ourselves killed by the walkers!" Lori said exasperated. "Have you seen the place?! It's infested with those things!"

Rick faced his wife with a blank look in the eyes. What the hell was the matter with Lori?! Couldn't she see the silver lining that that prison represented to them all? When and where would they find another place as safe as that one? Odds were slim to none that they wouldn't be that lucky once again, so...

"Yes, but have you seen the place?!" Rick snapped slightly angry. "It was built to be safe. And it may be sheltering some walkers now but I'm sure we can make it safe. That's our best shot, Lori! Or you have a better idea? 'Cause if you know a place as good as this one, I'm all ears."

Lori Grimes went speechless as she stared into her husband's scrutinizing blue eyes. She could still see remnants of his bottled up emotions that triggered his outburst the other night and she swallowed hard. She had never seen Rick this affected before.

"I'm waiting," he pushed and she pressed her lips together so they formed a fine line. With a low huff, Lori turned her back to everyone and went to meet her son, who was with Beth only a few yards away.

Rick watched as his wife walked away; he kept his eyes glued to her back as she opened some distance from the rest of the group. He couldn't stop but wonder how fucked up was the situation they had at their hands.

Perhaps it was exactly because of that, or perhaps it was a set of other things but, ultimately, Rick pushed everything aside and focused on the prison. If there was one thing he learned after getting shot and waking up to this apocalyptical world was that they needed to focus on what was important and, as harsh as it could sound, the main goal was survival. Whatever issues they had, they could deal with that later. Right now, Rick had a group to look after. He had nine lives in his hand - well, make it ten with the baby Lori was carrying - and he'd rather have everyone alive and hating him instead of having them all liking him and dead or else.

"Alright, so here's the plan," he said looking at everyone once again. "West Georgia Correctional Facility has four buildings spread through the compound." He grabbed a stick and started to make some rough drawing on the dirt so that everyone could have the slightest notion of the place they were about to enter. He knew how West Georgia was built because he knew how prisons worked (knowledge he acquired when he still had his Deputy Sheriff duties) but he was willing to bet his python that not anyone else from the group seemed familiar with the facility. Perhaps Daryl could have a minimum knowledge about the matter but, at this point, Rick seriously doubted that the younger man knew that much about it... "The main one, and bigger, was the first place the prisoners were brought, where they'd leave all their belongings and everything. That's also where most guards would gather. That means we should go for that building first. It's gonna have guns and ammo."

"Along with a bunch of walkers."

Rick made a pause and his eyes instantly focused on Glenn. All eyes followed Rick's, which created this uncomfortable silence and the tension could almost be felt.

Glenn instantly felt like he was the center of attention and he regretted his commentary. "Sorry," he said embarrassed. He could feel his cheeks burn.

Rick didn't say anything about Glenn's interruption. He glared at him, but just chose to ignore it altogether. They really didn't have time for that.

"Place has observation towers," Daryl filled the awkward silence, adding two circles to Rick's drawing. He had seen the place when he and Rick went 'food hunting', so he knew where the observation towers were. "If we could put people in there, that'd mean we wouldn't have to worry all that much 'bout our asses."

Rick nodded. He had noticed the towers as well and Daryl's idea was something he had thought about himself. If they could have people up there, they'd have bird's eye on the place and one hell of a backup. Odds that there would be guns up in the towers was also very high.

"Sounds about right," he agreed looking at Daryl and giving him a short nod. "We can go for the towers first. Once we have people in there, we'll go for the interior of the compound."

"T-Dog and Hershel could be there," Glenn suggested, trying to make up for his moment seconds ago.

Rick assumed a thoughtful expression. Two towers would mean at least two men that would be spared to go inside. Two men amongst that already tiny group could be a lot...

"I wanted T-Dog to be on the ground," he said pensively.

"I'll be up there."

Rick was abruptly pulled from his thoughts when he heard that. Much like everyone else, his eyes fixed on the woman who had spoken. Surprisingly enough, that was Carol Peletier.

There was a brief moment of silence where no one seemed to know what to say. That was too unexpected.

"D'you even know how to shoot?" Daryl asked dubiously, once again, breaking the weird silence.

"Yes, I do," she replied simply. Everybody frowned. "Just because I don't carry a gun everywhere I go, doesn't mean I don't know how to handle one... So, Hershel and I will take the towers. What else?"

For a moment, Rick was at a loss for words. He had never seen Carol act like that, so straightforward and with a determination that he honestly didn't see for quite a while now...

"Well then the rest of us will clean the patio," Rick said matter-of-factly.

It didn't surprise anyone all that much what he had said because, honestly, they all had figured that themselves.

"Wait," Maggie spoke for the first time. "What about Beth?"

"I've though about that," Rick said, looking straight at the old man. "She'll be outside, with Carl... and Lori."

Another moment of silence followed Rick's words, but this time, it wasn't due to the awkwardness of the moment. Well, part of it could be, but they were all wondering the same. They had a plan. It wasn't the most perfect plan in the history of all plans ever made but still, it had potential. A lot of things could go wrong, but they also could gain a lot more... A silent nod from everyone settled it.

They would take West Georgia Correctional Facility.


	3. No time for fear No time for tears

Thank you everyone who's reading this story! Here's another chapter and I have to say_:_ I'm sure you'll find Carol pretty damn different from what you're used to in the TV show... I know I may be pushing things too far to some of you but I'd like to explore a different side of her.

I think that's it for now... And there's the fact that I still don't have a Beta reader for this story so, forgive me if there are too many mistakes (oh, and feel encouraged to let me know if you find anything that's too hideous). Other than that, I hope you enjoy and, please, let me know what you think!

* * *

**III.** _No time for fear. No time for tears._

Even though he and Rick had made that same path not an hour ago and cleared it, Daryl Dixon never let go of his crossbow as he led the way, escorting that small group towards their next achievement, and was more than ready to take down any walkers that could be lurking around and that dared to cross his way. None appeared, though.

They had a clear path until he came to a halt when the prison appeared before their eyes.

"There," Daryl said, indicating the imposing building they were planning on taking. Inadvertently, the blonde man tightened his grip on his weapon as he saw a handful of walkers wandering the length of the prison's patio.

The only response Daryl heard was a strangled gasp as they all stood on the edge of the small hill. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Lori covering her mouth with one hand while the other pulled her son towards her.

"Oh my God..."

Daryl was doing his best not to judge the woman or to roll his eyes at her because, truthfully, he was slightly surprised when he first laid eyes on the stone fortress, but her attitude, in his opinion, was even worst than his own (and he had quite a hard time accepting the group and everything). So, he swallowed the harsh words that were threatening to roll out of his tongue and fixed his eyes on the building instead.

By the time Rick stood next to Hershel, everyone had fallen silent. The former Deputy Sheriff could almost feel the change in the atmosphere as he looked at them.

There they were. A group of ten people, eight adults and two teenagers. Not exactly heavily armed since all they had were knives, improvised weapons and very little fire power. Except for Daryl, Rick could see apprehension written all over their faces.

"That is-" Maggie Greene was the first one to recover her voice, but she didn't go too far with whatever she was going to say. Rick quickly interrupted her; he had a pretty good idea what words would follow.

"Do _not_ do that," he said, and his words came out like a warning. "Let's keep moving."

Rick exchanged a look with Daryl and the blonde guy just gave him a short nod before continuing his way towards their main goal. Glenn, Maggie, T-Dog, Carol, Hershel and even Beth followed suit, though Lori didn't. Obviously. She stood still, as if she was rooted to the spot.

"Keep going," Rick said when he neared her. "Don't say anything," he added through gritted teeth when her eyes fixed onto his; he could almost see the wheels turning inside her head. "Just keep going."

Rick watched as Lori opened her mouth and closed without saying one word for a couple of times before giving up and doing as he was telling her.

In all honesty, Lori's reaction surprised him great deal. He was pretty sure that she would take whatever chances of arguing with him, though, surprisingly enough, she didn't. But, judging by the killer look she addressed him, she was nowhere near letting it go. Rick sighed. Lately, it seemed like Lori was the only one who would attack him and over anything.

In more than just one occasion, she complained about how crazed Shane was and how he needed to be stopped, then she punished him for killing him in self defense. Now she was complaining about the best chance they had... Why couldn't she be more cooperative like everyone else? Because, honestly, what wasn't a crazy idea nowadays? Anything they could possibly think of would have the potential to go south...

Rick Grimes shook his head and resumed his walking; Lori was his wife, but he felt like they were slipping into the same routine pattern that they had prior the outbreak. They would constantly argue over anything and everything. It was time consuming and mentally exhausting and those were two things that Rick couldn't afford to waste right now. He wasn't fond of avoiding the problem, but as of right now, he would embrace that philosophy because he just did not have the luxury to take part into Lori's shit fit. Not the luxury, nor the strength. He didn't need that kind of crap; he had plenty already.

.

"Stay here," Rick said, looking straight at Lori and Carl. "Both of you," he added when he noticed the hesitation in Carl's demeanor.

He knew his son well enough he wanted to argue with him over that; he knew that Carl didn't like one bit when he told him to stay there, but Rick couldn't engage into that kind of discussion with his son. He couldn't and he didn't want to.

So, even though it broke his heart when he acknowledged the hurt look Carl addressed him (and the stern glower that came from Lori), Rick didn't falter. If anything, he put up his best poker face as if he wasn't the least bit affected by that whole thing and mustered his energy for their next effort.

Rick soon joined the rest of the group. They were only a few feet away, just waiting for Hershel and Maggie now - they wanted to exchange a few words with Beth, and no one opposed to that.

A few moments later, they approached them and the seven of them (Rick, Hershel, Maggie, Glenn, T-Dog, Carol and Daryl) turned their faces so they were looking at the entrance gates of West Georgia Correctional Facility.

The place looked even bigger now that they were near it; the gates looked more resilient, the triple fences seemed to be impassable, even the stone hard compound looked like a small, isolated world. On the down side, from where they were standing now, the number of were walkers trapped inside those fences seemed a tad bigger than before... but the place was too great for them to ditch without a fair fight.

Rick was just thinking about when was the right time to make the first move when he noticed that the rest of the group was gather next to him, just waiting for her word. He looked to his right and found Daryl standing there, crossbow in position.

"Ready for this?" he asked, just for the sake of asking.

Maybe what they had now wasn't a democracy anymore, like he had said so himself, but he liked the fact that he could count on Daryl. Rick trusted the man and his instincts, so when he just looked back at him and nodded, Rick knew that, whatever shit they had to face, he wouldn't be all alone and someone would be willing to cover his back.

"Alright then," he said. He tightened his grip around the butt of his hunting knife and lead the way towards the triple fenced compound.

Given the recent events, the sight of the walkers trapped inside those fences brought a sense of uneasiness to everyone. Even Daryl could feel the adrenaline flowing through his system in higher levels than the usual.

"Daryl."

As soon as he heard his name being called, he looked at Rick and he didn't need to be a police officer or understand about those hand signals to know what the former Deputy Sheriff was telling him to do.

Rick had indicated one of the towers that stood right next to the entrance gates and quickly, Daryl gave a low whistle as he looked at Carol and she soon followed him, knowing what was coming next.

As they approached the gates, the walkers inside the Correction Facility seemed to notice their presence there and they started to head towards the fence.

Even though they've been living in that walker infested apocalyptic world for longer than they cared to remember now, whenever the wind blew, it bringing the smell of putrid and rotten carcasses, they all cringed. It was the stinging smell of mankind's decay, and the simple thought that most people they used to know were like that was abhorrent to say the very least.

Those walkers, trapped inside those high fences, were once criminals; they had done all sorts of bad things to innocent people and were there to pay for his crimes. But, right now, they were no different from others; they were no different from those creatures they saw in Atlanta, who attacked their camp right outside the city, who overrun the Hershel's farm, no different from others who once were parents, children, husbands, wives...

None of the survivors felt any remorse in killing those innocent people who had the unfortunate fate of succumbing to the outbreak; it took some getting used to for some of them, but they had accepted the fact those people were dead already so they were at peace with themselves. But if a second thought ever crossed their minds before, such thing didn't happen now.

As the horde of walkers dragged their rotten starved carcasses to the fences, a rush of newly found adrenaline started to run through everyone's systems. It was survive or perish right now, and those less than human creatures that were filling that fortress were just another obstacle that had to be removed.

Daryl and Carol quickly climbed the stairs, heading to the highest part of the tower where they could help the others. Daryl took the lead, since he was the one holding the best weapon. He took down a walker that was occupying the small room on the top and kicked him off the tower, sending the man's body down and creating a little mess since the walker's corpse exploded as it hit the ground, sending rotten guts everywhere.

"Here," he said, grabbing a rifle that was lying on the floor and tossing it to Carol. "Know how to use it?"

Carol barely acknowledged Daryl's question. As soon as her hands closed around the weapon, brought it up, tilted her head slightly to the right so she could see more accurately where she was aiming at and her finger soon found the trigger; Carol waited about a second before pulling it.

Her bullet hit a walker on the chest and a huge hole was created around the impact point. Admittedly, it wasn't the best place to hit but she figured, if a walked didn't have his torso, it'd be harder for him to bit or grab someone for that matter.

"Well, it has ammunition and a trigger," she said finally, looking at Daryl with the corner of her eyes.

#

"Alright, sweetheart," Addison said as she returned to the truck. As she was already expecting, Analeigh was still on the passenger seat holding tightly onto Mr. Murphy. "Everything's okay."

She tapped on the window lightly and the little girl soon unlocked the door, allowing her back inside.

"There are no bad people out there?" Analeigh asked carefully, her eyes surveying the surroundings, searching for anything Addison could've missed.

Addison had to hold back a smile because, albeit funny and cute, Analeigh's apprehension was nothing to make fun of; it was completely understandable.

"There are no bad people outside," she said reassuringly, placing the bow back inside the truck and keeping only the gun and the hunting knife. "Would you like to come here for a second?"

Addison waited while Analeigh thought about her offer for a second. She could almost feel the kid's nervousness and Addison understood that. I mean, after everything they've been through so far... hell, she'd be more worried if the little blondie was a hundred per cent okay with everything.

"Okay," Analeigh replied after a few seconds.

"Fantastic. Come here."

Addison reached out for Analeigh, who quickly wrapped her small arms around her shoulders.

"Alright," Addison said as she closed the door, but didn't lock the car. Honestly, there weren't many people out there with brains to steal a car... In fact, most "people" they came across so far had only one interest and it had more to do with the ones inside the vehicle rather than the vehicle itself.

"Let's just not wander too far from the car, okay?" she added and Analeigh just nodded. "Good. Now, you said Mr. Murphy wanted to go to the bathroom?" Once again, Analeigh just nodded. "I'm afraid there are no bathrooms around so, I think he'll have to use the woods one more time..."

Analeigh bit on her lower lip and started to look around.

"Don't worry, Annie," Addison said, brushing the girl's cheek with her knuckles. "There's nothing here, I promise."

"Will you stay close to protect us?" Analeigh's voice wasn't louder than a whisper and Addison knew she was trying to be as silent as possible. She could be just five years old, but she'd seen and lived through enough to learn that the undead could hear them.

"Of course, honey."

"M'kay then."

Addison then put the toddler down; her small hand soon found hers and clung to it. She just gave it a soft squeeze before approaching the forest.

"Don't go too far," Addison warned Analeigh, who looked straight at her and nodded emphatically.

She watched as the little girl got behind a rather big tree. Instantly, Addison undid the safety strap that held the knife in place and held the handler, ready to use it if necessary. Luckily, it wasn't.

Not a minute later, Analeigh reappeared, with Mr. Murphy in her arms.

"I need to wash my hands," she whispered as she looked down, watching where she was stepping.

"There's a stream right about there... now, shall we?"

This time, Analeigh didn't hesitate. She reached out and held Addison's hand and the two girl crossed the clearing, heading towards the small river.

Even though she had searched the place for possible hostiles, Addison still didn't let her senses down and kept the strap of the knife undone.

She waited for Analeigh to wash her hands and she even used the cold water to wash her face. The cold water plus the cold weather washed away whatever remnants of sleepiness that were left on Addison's body. She was suddenly highly alert and ready for the fight of her life if such thing was necessary. She made a silent prayer that it wasn't, though.

But perhaps, she had exceeded her daily quota of prayers since as soon as she wished for some peace; she heard a sound that made the blood run cold as ice in her veins.

"Auntie Dee-dee..."

The fear in Analeigh's voice was palpable, but then again, so was Addison's tension. She quickly stood up and, instead of taking her hunting knife, she drew her gun.

"Let's go, Annie. Now, come on."

The blondie didn't need another word of encouragement; she had hastily stood and quickly grabbed Addison's free hand without even drying hers.

Addison started running towards the truck that was a few meters away, but Analeigh couldn't keep up with her. The silver Ram was about seven meters away but Addison didn't want to waste one second more than the necessary in the open, so she grabbed Analeigh in her arms and ran as fast as she could.

"Auntie Dee-dee..."

Addison could almost feel the cry in Analeigh's voice. It was heartbreaking, but, at this precise moment, there was only too much she could do.

"Come on, Annie. Jump to the other seat," she instructed as she opened the driver's door and placed the little girl on the driver's seat. "Come on."

Pouting and trying to hold back the tears, Analeigh did as she was told and she quickly climbed on to the passenger seat.

"Fasten your seatbelt," Addison told her as she occupied her place behind the steering wheel and closed the door.

By now, a few tears of fear had fallen from the little girl's eyes, but Addison didn't even have time for saying any nice or comforting words.

Faster than a lightning bolt, Addison started the truck and got back on the road.

For the first time in a very long while, Addison heard something different than anything they had grew used to during the past few months. No moans. No sound of feet being dragged. She had heard gunshots.


	4. Survivors Part I

Thank you everyone who's reading this and super thanks to everyone who's reviewing. You guys are the best thing ever and I'm always happy when I get to learn how you feel about this story.

As for Carol, well, I'm sorry if it's too much to some of you; I just wanted to do things a bit different... as for when Addison will meet Daryl, that'll happen soon (maybe next chapter or the next one, not sure yet), but I shall tell you that it will take a while until they get together. Oh, and I'm super happy that you like Addison! I'm always a bit nervous about OCs because I never know how the readers will react to them, but your response has been great. Thanks a lot!

This is an **extraordinary update**; I was planning on updating this fic only Saturday, but this chapter was getting too long so I decided to split it in half and I thought it'd be only fair if I posted this now because it might not be too much, but it's important for the story (at least I like to think it is).

So, thanks again to my lovely readers. I still don't have a Beta reader for this story so you know... any mistakes, please forgive me. Other than that, I hope you enjoy and, please, let me know what you think!

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**IV.** _Survivors Part I_

Addison held tightly onto the steering wheel and kept her eyes glued to the road ahead. The adrenaline was pumping through her system and her first instinct was to drive fast and head to the opposite direction of where she had heard the gunshots.

And so she did. At least for a while.

The more she drove away from that small clearing with the small river, the more her thoughts went wild.

There were others. Well, Addison always assumed there would be other survivors, that she and Annie weren't the last ones standing in this undead infested world but, now, she knew it for sure. And at the same time that this confirmation ignited the very tiny flame of hope that Addison managed with a lot of struggle to keep up inside her, it also made her frown inwardly and get suspicious. Because if there was one thing that she learned about this new world, was that it was so very different from everything she ever knew.

Back when Nick was still with them, Addison remembered two occasions in which they crossed paths with others who managed to live through the outbreak, and the memories that were left from such encounters were as nice and pretty as those moaning creatures outside... As far as she could tell, humanity had gone to shit as well.

So, as of right now, Addison was having one hell of an inner struggle. She was caught in the middle of the "go back or not go back". Because, even though she had gone through some shit both times she stumbled upon other survivors, there was this part of her that was frowning, glaring and shaking her head at her for taking off.

The one question that was bothering the most was: _what if they were good people?_ Sure there should be more decent people out there, right? I mean, she was decent... even though her decision of running off didn't exactly support that statement but still, Addison knew she wouldn't do no harm to someone who wasn't trying to harm her and Analeigh.

Inadvertently, Addison hit the breaks.

Analeigh, who had been quiet the whole time, looked at the dark haired woman by her side and, bringing her stuffed wolf closer to her chest, she whispered with a barely audible voice, "Auntie Dee-dee?"

For a few seconds, Addison didn't answer to her. Instead, she kept her eyes on the desert road and her hands on the steering wheel. The world as she knew was gone, so why the fuck her conscience continued to work as if it wasn't? Good Lord...

Taking a deep breath, Addison finally looked away from the road. Her dark eyes found Analeigh's grey ones and she wavered. She couldn't gamble with safety when she had a five year old girl to watch for. But then again, she couldn't keep doing this alone... It was an illusion to think she could.

With her heart weighing a ton heavier but her conscience feeling a bit better, Addison made up her mind.

"Hold on, sweetheart," she said calmly. Then, she made a U-turn and started to drive back...

Back to the clearing.

Back to the gunshots.

Back to the unknown.

#

"Stay together," Rick said as he led the small group through the path between the fences.

There was actually no need for him to warn everyone since the walkers that were lurking around the prison had already spotted them and were gathering near the fences, but still, he didn't want to take any chances. They weren't that much and he didn't want to lose anyone.

"Stay close and stay focused."

As they all reached the final gate, Rick's voice was as loud as a whisper but they all heard him alright; they also noticed the seriousness in his words and his demeanors. That was it. It was show time.

.

The moment Rick Grimes shot the padlock and pushed the double gates open, it was like time had slowed down, not only to the small group of survivors that had just entered the nest of walkers and the two shooters positioned on the two observation towers, but to the three others that stayed outside.

Lori Grimes was the image of desperation. She was holding tightly onto Carl and to the first row of the metal fence, a knot forming in her throat.

She was worried about the others and she was dead worried about Rick. They could be giving each other's the cold shoulder treatment, but she didn't wish him any harm, not really. He was her husband and Lori did care about him, and seeing him heading into that death trap scared her to the bone.

Beth and Carl didn't fall behind either. It was visible that the teen and the kid were struggling not to break down right then and there, but their turmoil was plastered on their faces...

.

A rush of adrenaline didn't begin to explain the overwhelming sensation that took over everyone's body the moment they stepped inside the prison's compound.

They could feel the blood pounding in their ears and the wind tricking their skin, making the hair on their arms stand. It was all natural instincts now, they were ready to flee or fight – and it was unnecessary to say that the first option wasn't really an option. Not to them.

With each and every second that passed by, it became more and more obvious to Rick and his companions that the confinement didn't do any good to those creatures. They should be locked there for a damn long time since they were considerable slower than any other walkers they ever had to deal with and there some bodies scattered around the length of the prison's patio that weren't moving anymore. Probably they died, again.

As his brain processed that new information, Rick even felt a bit better with the prospect. It sure wouldn't be easy, but maybe -just maybe- fighting for the prison wouldn't be as hard as the fight for the farm was. They were in a much smaller number in comparison to those walkers, but the circumstances were completely different.

Things were different. Things and people.

Rick tightened the grip around the handle of the machete he had found near the prison's entrance as a slow walker, wearing a dirty one-piece suit that was the inmates' uniform, approached him. The dead walking creature was once a man and Rick could only wonder what he had done to end up in a place like that, though he didn't waste that much time thinking about that. Instead, he focused on his hands that were reaching out to him and his mouth that was hanging open. That creature that had been reduced to a big sack of decomposed flesh wanted a piece of him so bad.

With one smooth and fluid movement, Rick cut off the upper part of the walker's head and he watched as the corpse stopped moving and fell to the floor. Immobile.

The blood that once pumped through the veins of that criminal, stuck all over the part of the blade that was used to slice the cranium of the walker in two, but Rick didn't even bother cleaning the thick, dark substance off since another walker was already approaching him, as starving and as disgusting as the first one.

#

Addison got to the small clearing and drove past it. The sound of gunshots hadn't stopped; if anything, she believed it had increased.

Once again, the though of hostile survivors crossed her mind and a shiver ran down her spine.

_Why the fuck I decided to come back?_ She thought to herself for the eleventh time in the past few minutes.

But there was something bothering her and it was something that just wouldn't leave her alone. She knew that, if she didn't follow this, call it a hunch, she would never see the end of that dilemma. Even after days, she would think about that and she'd feel like crap. Worse than crap. Even though she was doing something that could easily be labeled as moronic, idiotic, epic proportions of stupidity –especially when you have an infant with you to look out for– and she knew that, if Nick was there, he'd yell at her forever... but he wasn't.

Shaking her head, Addison tried to push aside the thought of Nick and focus on what was important, which was Analeigh's safety and how on Earth she was going to make sure she didn't get hurt in any way.

So she kept driving. She wasn't completely sure of anything anymore but she kept going. That is, until she saw some scattered cars down the small road she was driving through. Instinctively, Addison hit the breaks and the truck stopped immediately. With her hands still glued to the steering wheel, she stared blankly at the image before her eyes, her heart racing.

Truthfully, Addison didn't know what she was expecting to find along the way, but that... That wasn't the most appealing and welcoming sight. Judging by the looks of those vehicles, they've been there for a while now, and that could mean only one thing to her - undead lurking around. It made sense when she remembered the reason why she was there in the first place.

"Auntie Dee-dee..."

Analeigh's soft whisper pulled Addison from her wanderings. Looking at the kid next to her, she noticed the terrified look in her big grey eyes.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," she said; her right hand let go of the wheel and reached out for Annie's tiny hands, giving it a soft squeeze. "We'll be fine. Just do as I tell you, okay?"

Analeigh shook her head and muttered a simple "mhmm". She was scared, Addison could see it in the way she was almost strangling her beloved stuffed wolf.

A pang of guilt hit the dark haired woman when she felt Analeigh's tiny fingers wrapping around her hand.

Maybe the two girls weren't related, but, as of right now, there wasn't one thing in the whole wide world that Addison wouldn't do for that little girl, to wipe that scared look from her face for good and not see her like that ever again. Because it wasn't fair that she had to go through all that shit. She was just an innocent child...

And then, another loud noise cut through the silent. It was again a gun being fired and, this time, it was closer than before. Analeigh tightened the grip on Addison's hand and she shivered softly.

"It's okay, Annie," Addison said reassuringly, releasing the breaks so the truck was moving once more. "I won't let anything happen to you." It was a promise, and Addison was willing to do anything to keep it.

.

"What the..."

Astonishment didn't begin to explain the huge spectrum of feelings that took over Addison once she realized where she had got to.

She could see it very clearly, but her brain was having a hard time processing it.

Standing right before her eyes, there was a huge fortress that once was a prison. But, in all honesty, it wasn't the imposing building itself that had left Addison speechless. It was the fact that there were people inside the prison's gates. People as in _other survivors_.

Addison couldn't really tell how many they were, but she could see very clearly that they weren't a big number. They seemed to be trying to kill all those undead creatures that were trapped inside, though their progress wasn't all that fast... but, then again, there should be plenty of those despicable creatures.

For a minute or so, Addison stood still. She didn't move one muscle and just stood there, rooted to the spot. She wasn't sure what she was expecting to see before she got there, but that... Unexpected was the understatement of the century.

"Jesus Christ." The words escaped her lips as her eyes found three figures standing outside the prison... There was a kid amongst them.

"Get on the backseat, Annie," she said, looking straight at the girl next to her.

Analeigh shivered as she heard Addison's words. She was just a kid, but he had noticed the sudden change on the woman's demeanors... And Addison noticed the fear in the child's eyes.

"It's gonna be okay, sweetie. Just, do as I say, okay? Please?"

A bit reluctantly, Analeigh nodded and made her way to the backseat of the truck. Her tiny hands held the ivory blanket as if her life depended on it.

"Alright," she said while putting the truck in motion again. She made a quick prayer in her head while driving through the last few meters that separated her from the prison and from the survivors.


	5. Survivors Part II

First of all, I'm sorry it took me a week to update this; I was going to update this last Saturday but there were some complications and it took me this long, so for that, I am truly really sorry.

Second of all, thank you everyone who's still reading this story!

Here's a new chapter, still not Beta read but I hope there aren't many mistakes and that you enjoy! Oh, and reviews are greatly appreciated!

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**V.**_ Survivors Part II_

It was a blood bath, although that was an erroneous choice of words for what happened inside the prison's gates.

There was no blood. Well, there was blood, but it was nothing like the red liquid pumping through the veins of the few people that survived the zombie apocalypse. No.

There was coagulated blood. There was rotten flesh. There were bits and pieces of what once was humanity, or the worst part of humanity, also known as the residents from West Georgia Correctional Facility that didn't survive the outbreak.

Lori Grimes tightened the grip on the fences as she watched her husband and the group of people that had become her own family ever since all hell broke loose.

In all honesty, she didn't wish that new reality not even to her worst enemy, though there she was, stuck in it with a breath of life in her womb and Carl. Speaking of which...

"Carl, baby," she said, quickly looking to her side to find her son looking elsewhere but the prison.

"Mom..."

"Oh my God, is that..."

Lori barely understood what Carl and Beth were saying; she was too astounded by the view of a truck coming their way.

"Carl, Beth," she said in a hushed voice when the silver Ram stopped, still a few meters from them and the entrance gates. Lori let go of the fence and reached for the two kids; she instinctively took a few steps back. "Stay close."

#

"Annie, I need you to stay inside, okay? Just like the clearing. Stay inside, lock the doors."

Addison didn't exactly love what she was about to do, but she didn't see any other options to consider. She was not bringing a five year old girl with her.

Sure Analeigh had seen more than her fair share of gruesome and destruction, but Addison would be better of alone. Besides, if the group was hostile, the two of them would have better chances if she was alone.

"I don't want you to go, Auntie Dee-dee..."

Why of course she didn't want her to go. Hell, Addison was starting to re-think her not so bright plan, but she had gone too far to stop now and it wasn't just about her anymore.

"Auntie Dee-dee will be fine, dear," she told the little girl. Addison mustered all she had within her to sound confident, as if she had everything under control when, in fact, she was in control of absolutely nothing. "Just wait for me here, okay?"

Analeigh simply nodded; Addison noticed she was once again strangling the poor toy and it broke her heart.

"I'll be right back, sweetheart," she said, placing a gentle kiss on the girl's forehead. "Get under your blanket and stay there."

Addison was to step out of the truck when a pair of small hands closed around her arm. "Dee-dee, don't leave me..."

There were tears in Analeigh's eyes and she could see she was shaking; Addison knew why though. The sound of shots being fired hasn't ceased yet.

"I'll be right outside," she said. She turned on the seat so she was facing Analeigh in the eyes; Addison took her small hands in one of her hands and used the other to wipe away the tears that were falling. "If you need anything, just yell. I'll be back in a heartbeat."

Analeigh sniffed a little, but, somehow, she managed to hold back her tears. Addison didn't know if she liked or didn't like that...

"Don't get hurt," she whispered in her angelical sad voice. Addison pulled Analeigh and hugged her.

"I won't, sweetheart. I won't..."

.

As soon as she opened the door and put one step out of the safe interior of the Dodge Ram, Addison felt the winter breeze assaulting the exposed skin of her arms.

She had left her trench coat on the passenger seat, but she didn't go back to retrieve it. It wasn't that cold since the sun was up in the sky and, given the situation, that slightly cold wind would actually work in her favor, keeping her as sharp as she could get.

Moving quickly, she signed Analeigh to lock the doors and ran to the bed of the truck once the little blonde did as she said. It took her a few seconds to decide which weapon to pick - a sniper rifle.

Grabbing the case and two packs of bullets, Addison thanked Heavens once again. About three weeks ago, she and Nick came across this gun shop and, ever since then, they've been carrying a small arsenal. _I_, Addison reminded herself...

But she didn't waste another second dwelling on that thought. One of the perks of working under extreme circumstances was that she had this great ability to focus on what was really important. Addison wouldn't say she worked better under pressure, but she sure didn't disappoint.

As soon as she closed the bed of the truck, she hopped on top of the lid that was covering the weapons and headed to the roof.

"I cannot believe I'm doing this shit," she muttered through teeth.

If someone had told her, three years from now, that she would be standing on a truck's roof, killing zombies in a prison, she'd say the person was a lunatic or had been watching way too many movies... but there she was.

After spending a few seconds to assemble the rifle and load it, Addison stood up, adjusting the aim.

Looking through the scope, she had a perfect view of the inside of the prison; she could see undeads all over the place, some were dead, but others were still up. She took a moment to look around and then, she finally acknowledged the small group of people that were fighting the dead.

Addison didn't know whether she admired them for their boldness or if she just assumed they were downright insane. They were clearly in a much smaller number but still, they were putting one hell of a fight against those creepy creatures.

She was just looking around as she watched one of the survivors grab what once was an inmate in a choke-hold and pushing a knife into the creature's head.

"How about that," she whispered to herself as she watched the moving corpse stop moving and the man with blonde-ish hair dropped it to the floor.

That was quite impressive she thought, but she soon dismissed the thought; there was no time for that. Taking a deep breath, Addison tightened the hold around the hand-guard and focused on her first target. Breathing in and out ever so slowly, she waited for the right moment before pulling the trigger.

.

In between shots, Addison noticed that the five survivors inside the Correctional Facility, made considerable progress on the task of capturing the prison.

One after another, they caused some significant difference on the rotten population of West Georgia Facility for whatever amount of time they've been in there.

It was a slow progress, but a progress nonetheless, especially when it was considered numbers. They were still a small number in comparison to the quantity of undead bodies they were facing but, so far, they were okay.

Through the scope, Addison saw it when a dark haired man freed the blade of a machete of the head of another emaciated dead creature. She saw it when an Asian guy, probably around her age, pulled the end of what seemed to be a bar he was using as a weapon from the eye socket of a fallen carcass.

It surprised her when a young woman literally ran towards an inmate's reanimated corpse with her own machete held above her head; her mouth was open and Addison was pretty sure she was hollering something. She also had acknowledged an African American guy investing against yet another undead while the blode-ish man she'd seen a few moments earlier took down another inmate...

"Either they're downright crazy or stupidly courageous," she muttered to herself as she reloaded her rifle. Then a smirk appeared in her lips as she realized, the same words would apply to herself as well...

After a while, Addison didn't know how many of those vile, filthy creatures she put down; if anything, she had even lost track of how long she had been on the roof of her truck... Basically, she had stopped paying attention to anything and everything that didn't concern her rifle and those walking corpses. She was on auto pilot and it would have been alright if she was alone. But she wasn't.

She had another one of those creepy creatures on the end of her aim when a sound near her made her blood run cold in her veins and she missed the shot.

Addison's heart skipped a beat when she looked at her right side and saw the back door of the Ram open.

"Analeigh." The little girl's name was a strangled whisper in Addison's lips.

For a damn long minute, the brunette felt as if her world had just veered out of control. She was more than slightly dumbfounded by the little girl's actions that she couldn't move, or react for a moment; all she could do was to watch, helpless, as the five year old ran away from the truck towards the prison's gates.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Addison snapped out of her trance and, holding the rifle in a tight grip, she got off the roof and jumped back on the ground.

"Analeigh!" She ran as fast as she could but it took her a while to reach the little girl. "ANNIE!"

It was only when Addison kneeled to the ground and held Analeigh by her shoulders, preventing her from fleeing again, that she finally understood what the little girl had been saying.

She didn't pay attention at first because she had other things in mind, but now, standing there, she couldn't not hear it. And, once again, it broke her heart to pieces.

Analeigh was holding tightly onto Mr. Murphy and looking at the prison's gates with tears in her eyes. The only word escaping her lips was "mommy".

Ever so slowly, Addison followed the little girl's eyes and noticed the object of Analeigh's attention: she was staring intently at a woman that, apparently, had left one of the two towers and she hadn't noticed before.

Addison didn't really know what to think. Was that even possible? She didn't know Analeigh's mother but... could that woman be Annie's _mommy_? If so, then what the hell was she doing there out of all places?! There were a million and one questions in Addison's head and, since the adrenaline was still running through her system, she was having quite a hard time sorting everything out.

Then, it all happened too fast for her to follow. Addison cursed herself under her breath when Analeigh freed herself from her hold and she found herself grasping the cold air.

_Come on, Addison, get a grip! You're living in a fucking apocalyptic world, you can't keep zoning out like that! Do you want to get yourself killed or...?_

"Analeigh!" She stood up quickly and, tightening the hold around the hand-guard of the rifle, Addison followed the little girl, who was once again, sprinting towards the prison's gates.

The dark haired woman tried really hard not to think about the possibilities; that could go so very wrong...

#

Carol couldn't tell if she had been up there for minutes or hours, all she knew was that she was tired by the time they had conquered that small part of the outside of the Correction Facility.

Well, there were a few walkers here and there, but nothing that Rick, Daryl and the others couldn't handle. Besides, once she looked around, she noticed that there was no more ammunition nearby. Carol figured there should be more somewhere, but, looking back to the patio, she figured she didn't need to look for more and she could go back down there, where Lori, Carl and Beth had stayed.

She had just left the tower and was about to join Lori when something made her stop in her tracks.

At first, Carol felt as if she was hallucinating; that couldn't be real... it just couldn't.

She swallowed hard and stood there, rooted to the spot as she watched this little girl running towards her.

The child didn't seem real. With her platinum blonde hair and her pale skin, she looked like an angel; whenever she took a step, the sun-rays would hit her hair and it was almost as if she had this halo around her head... Without even noticing, Carol held her breath.

_"Mommy..."_

She heard the little girl call out and it was as if someone had cut her chest open and was poking on her broken heart. Why was this happening to her? Why?

_"MOMMY!"_

"Sophia..." Her deceased daughter's name escaped her lips in a sad whisper.

Carol blinked a couple of times, in hopes that the image would disappear but it didn't. The little girl was still there, and she was getting closer and closer.

The blonde girl was only a few meters away now, but Carol couldn't see her. Her vision was blurry and when she tried to take a step forward, she faltered.

"Sophia..."

.

It's been almost two days since they had a decent meal and proper sleep and Rick started to wonder how long they would be able to keep the pace when something made him relax a little.

Things were going as they had planned. Killing those walkers was like shooting fish in a barrel, lots and lots of fishes, but they weren't complaining. Was it dangerous? Yes. Was it worthy? Absolutely. But even then, even with all the bright sides and all the possibilities that were suddenly unfolding right before Rick's eyes, something made his blood run cold in his veins and he froze for a moment.

He had just killed another walker when he heard Glenn.

"Oh God..."

It's been a while since he heard anyone speaking, and when he did, it was drenched with something that Rick couldn't exactly name, better yet, he was afraid of doing so, because it sounded way too ominous for his liking...

"What the hell?"

And then, he heard Daryl. And he sounded even less cheerful than Glenn.

Taking a deep breath, Rick turned around, searching for what was drawing such comments from his friends. His eyes slowly scanned the area until he finally found what the object of such commotion was.

Truth be told, Rick wasn't sure what he was expecting to see... but he hoped for anything but that.

Outside the prison's fences, a few meters from where Lori, Carl and Beth were standing, there was a truck. A big silver truck that most definitely wasn't there before. But that was just half of what caused such reaction to everyone; the other half of the problem (because it could be a problem), was the fact that there was someone there.


	6. Newcomers

**DISCLAIMER:** THE WALKING DEAD AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. I do not own anything but my OCs and am still working on the plot but, just so you know, I haven't read the comics so, any resemblance to the plot-line from the comics is purely coincidental...

Thanks everyone who's reading and special thanks to everyone who's kind enough to leave a review. You guys are the best!

So, I have a new chapter and I literally just finished it. It took me a while because I had a case of writer's block while writing it. I wasn't really planning on updating this fic today because I usually send this to someone to read this and tell me if it's good or not, but at the same time, I wanted to update this fic before the new season premiere - who's excited?! I know I am, even though I won't watch the new episode until Tuesday...

Anyhow, new chapter and this one is a bit longer than the last ones. Not Beta read so, as always, please, forgive me if there are too many grammar mistakes and things like that. Thanks a lot! And leave a review once you finish, please? You're awesome :)

* * *

**VI.** _Newcomers_

There were still some starving walkers trapped inside the prison's fences, growling, moaning, dragging their feet and trying to reach those five people that invaded their space.

Rick Grimes knew better than to zone out, especially given the situation he found himself in, but he couldn't help it. His mind went blank as he saw it: there was a person running towards the prison's gates, but whether it was a man or a woman, he couldn't tell for two reasons: _a._ he was way too far from the gates and _b._ because his eyes darted to the powerful weapon he or she was carrying.

But then, something made him snap out of his trance: Carol Peletier was down on her knees.

.

Carol felt as if whatever strength she had managed to muster during those dreadful months ever since she'd lost her daughter tumbled down in a matter of seconds.

It came out of nowhere, completely unexpected and it all happened way too fast for her to stop; one moment Carol felt as if she had just conquered the Everest or something just as big and the next she was holding onto the fences and trying really hard not to fall apart. She didn't succeed, though.

Carol Peletier took one tiny step forward when she felt her knees giving up; she barely had time to reach out and grasp onto the fence when she felt herself getting closer to the ground.

"My baby..."

The words came out of Carol's mouth as loud as a whisper and couple of tears followed every word, every syllable.

If her knees got hurt when she fell, she didn't feel it. If she hurt her hands on the fences, she didn't notice. The only thing her brain was processing was the little girl that had stopped running, and the frightened look in her eyes... At that moment, Carol went numb to the world.

.

"Daryl."

Rick called out the man that was right behind him as he approached the entrance of the prison.

The moment he saw Carol reaching out to the fence and then falling to the ground, he hollered and started to run towards her.

Daryl, Glenn, Maggie and T-Dog followed him suit. The remaining walkers weren't that agile and they could deal with a handful of those despicable creatures with their eyes closed, besides, the group's safety was hands down the number one priority.

As soon as Daryl heard his name, he pulled his crossbow from his back and retrieved an arrow from its resting place. He stopped for a couple of seconds to load his weapon and, when he did, he quickly assumed his place in between Rick and T-Dog, right in front of the last layer of the three high fences that isolated the whole compound.

The first thing he noticed was Glenn and Maggie running through the corridor to reach Carol, then his eyes landed on the reason behind that commotion. Surprise didn't begin to cover what Daryl felt when he acknowledged what was going on.

#

Addison didn't know what hit her the hardest: if it was the painful sound that escaped Analeigh's lips when she stopped on her tracks only a few steps away from the fence or if it was the heartbreaking expression plastered on the older woman on the other side of that barrier.

The look in that woman's eyes was something that Addison had seen just once in her entire life but she never erased that image from her memory. Never.

Addison had no idea who that woman was or what her story was, but she knew one thing: as of right now, she was suffering. She may not know the reason behind the woman's suffering, but she knew the pain she was literally seeing was real, and she knew it was almost unbearable. And it brought her unwanted memories back.

Taking a deep breath and trying her best not to let her mind be taken by those old ghosts, Addison dropped to her knees to hold the little girl who was running back to her with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Dee-dee!" Analeigh literally ran into Addison's arms; holding her toy with one arm, Analeigh grasped onto Addison as she buried her head on the woman's neck. If she was bigger and stronger, she would've tackled Addison to the ground. "Tha-that's no-not mom-my..."

Even though she was slightly taken aback by the whole situation, Addison never let go of her weapon and she wrapped one arm around the kid's petite frame; but her eyes never left the woman on the other side of the fence.

In all honesty, Addison felt more than a little uneasy standing there in the open with Analeigh in her arms; she couldn't tell for sure if the symphony of firing weapons that had ended just a few moments ago had drawn more of those moaning creatures to the exact location she was currently at, and the not knowing was unnerving.

But then, in a matter of seconds, she realized that the possibility of corpses dragging their feet to where she was standing was a very high second priority.

While she was still trying to calm and quieten Analeigh, Addison looked past the older woman to find two men standing right behind her. And one of them -she recognized as the bold man with light hair- had a crossbow pointed straight at her.

#

Much like Daryl, Rick went speechless with the view before his eyes. He was aware of what awaited him, but _that_?! Not in a million years he would expect to see a young woman and a child.

He stood there, rooted to the spot as his brain work hard to process that unexpected turn of events.

He had his eyes fixed on the dark haired woman and on the blonde little girl, but he didn't lose sight of what he recognized as a Barrett sniper rifle. That was a damn powerful rifle and he could only wonder how she got that... Hell,_ he_ didn't have a weapon like that!

Rick found it hard to keep track of his own thoughts given the amount of question that were crowding his mind. It took him some time to figure out what to do next.

"Who are you?" He finally asked after what seemed to be an eternity. He quickly exchanged a glance with Daryl and he had a glimpse of something he'd never seen in Daryl's demeanors before - a mix of surprise and something that, if it wasn't a Dixon he was talking about, Rick would swear it was admiration... but, before he could name what it was, it vanished in a blink of an eye.

The former Deputy Sheriff waited for an answer that didn't come right away; he watched as the young brunette looked away from him and turned her undivided attention to the little girl she had in her arms, but not for one second loosening the grip on her weapon.

Rick could practically feel Daryl's impatience growing by the second next to him; he didn't say a word, though. He understood perfectly the hunter's uneasiness because he felt pretty disturbed with the presence of another survivor there. So, he just waited and, thinking back on his experience with unknown survivors, didn't tell Daryl to lower his crossbow. For all he knew, she could be hostile, even with a kid.

Finally, after a handful of seconds, the little girl calmed down and the woman stood up.

"I'm Addison," she said, looking straight at Rick. Then her eyes traveled to Daryl and Rick noticed she took a tiny step forward and stood in front of the frightened little girl with blonde hair.

Rick noticed when her eyes narrowed just a little bit; it was nearly imperceptible, but he was staring at her intently and didn't miss it.

"And may I ask you what are doing here?" he asked simply.

Addison almost smiled at him. There was a man who didn't waste time with pleasantries... not that she was expecting any pleasantries in the first place.

"We were just passing through," she replied calmly.

Well, it wasn't like she was lying - she was really passing by before she heard the gunshots and decided to run the other way, but still, no one really believed her.

Before Rick could ask the one question that was bothering him the most, Lori spoke and asked it herself.

"Who's we?" she asked rather harshly.

Ever so slowly, Addison turned her head to face the dark-haired woman, standing a few feet away from her.

Now, she not only had a crossbow pointed at her, but she was also on the end of a freaking revolver.

.

It physically pained Addison to keep it cool and not raise her own weapon at those people, but she held it back.

Could she understand the reason why that woman was asking her that question? Yes. But she didn't like one bit to be that vulnerable... And she liked even less to have weapons pointed at her, especially when there was a kid involved.

Addison's eyes shifted from the woman with the revolver, to the young boy and the teenager who were standing right behind her and then right back at her. She could see written all over the woman's face the concern that she was failing, epic proportions, to conceal.

"Analeigh and I," she answered finally, reaching out to touch the back of the little girl's head, who was holding onto her leg for dear life.

"Just the two of you?"

Addison looked back at the tall, dark haired man, who had just spoken again.

She studied him for a moment; he seemed to be strict and, apparently, he was the main authority figure of that group.

There was something about him, though. Something that Addison couldn't exactly put her finger on, but it was there, she could see it... He didn't seem dangerous, but at the same time, he had this strange look in his eyes, like he was keeping something to himself.

_And you would know about all that, wouldn't you, Addison?_ She inhaled deeply and silenced that thought, locking it back where it belonged - far as hell away.

"Yes," she admitted. "Just the two of us."

"And how do we know you ain't lying?"

Suddenly, Addison found herself looking at the man holding the crossbow.

Average height, slightly blonde hair, heavy Southern accent... definitely the kind of man who would hold one of those creepy things in a choke-hold.

"You don't," she said, sounding just as harsh as he did. "But I'm not lying."

Using that kind of tone was probably not the best decision she'd ever made judging by the fact that it only made everyone stare at her in a very unfriendly manner, but what was done was done.

Addison's eyes traveled through the faces of everyone from that group. From the three men standing behind the third row of fence (there was an African American guy with them that had remained silent and was constantly scanning their surroundings), to the woman and the two kids next to her; it was only then that she noticed the older woman wasn't there anymore: she was with a young couple and an older man that she didn't remember seeing before. And they were all looking at her with this strange and suspicious look in their eyes.

She was just considering what to say, or if there was anything to say to begin with, when her attention was drawn somewhere else.

"Auntie Dee..."

Addison didn't need Analeigh calling out for her, nor her squeezing her leg to acknowledge what was going on - the smell of rotten invading her nostrils, along with loud bangs and a chorus of non-orchestrated moans did that alright.

But, as she noticed, it wasn't only Addison who reacted rather surprised in face of that reality check. No. Apparently, every human being gathered in that place was caught up in that little inquiry that was going on that they momentarily forgot about the whole scenario they were now part of: they were in a prison; a place that, up until now, was the residency of a fairly large number of those disease-bearing things. Not exactly the best place to be in the whole wide world, and definitely, not the best place to get caught up in something and neglect everything else.

Then, it was almost as if they had rehearsed that for a damn long time, because as soon as Addison looked past the people she'd been "talking" to, everyone else did the same and turned their heads to the building on the background, which had suddenly become the main attraction.

There weren't any undeads walking around the length of the patio, but that was just because the building's doors were holding on pretty well what was trapped inside so far. They could see the metal that said door was made of shake every now and again; sure that seemed to be a pretty resilient door, especially when one considered the environment they were installed, but no one was willing to bet on that, not when there was too much at stake.

Addison watched as the attitude of the group of ten people changed. She was suddenly staring at, not a group of ten people that she accidentally stumbled upon whilst trying to make a move into claiming a place for themselves, but a group of warriors. She could see in their posture and how they were holding tightly onto their machetes and pieces of bars and whatever weapons they had, how they were ready to face anything that got in their way.

If Addison was just a little bit more impressionable, she would definitely turn her back on that place and those people and leave. But that wasn't in her DNA and, with the exception of the guy with a crossbow and the woman with the revolver, she didn't really think anyone else could cause her any harm, so she brought her rifle back up and prepared herself for her next move.

Quickly looking around, Addison noticed that the truck still had the door open, but she didn't feel like telling Analeigh to get back in there. What if there were some of those creatures around? She could easily get trapped in there and that'd be quite problematic. No. She couldn't do that. She had risked enough by coming to that very same place… but she needed to do something, and she couldn't drag Analeigh back and forth with her.

Cursing under her breath, Addison turned to the little blonde, who still had tears in her eyes. The look on her face made Addison's heart drop. She felt terrible for what she was about to do.

"Annie, I need you to stay here for a moment, okay?"

Analeigh's eyes widened in fear. "Dee-dee…"

"It's just for a second, sweetheart. Dee-dee just has to get some things from the car…"

"Dee-dee, don't go," Analeigh pleaded, but Addison couldn't give in to that.

"Stay here," she said sternly. "I will be right back."

Trying very hard to ignore the bitter taste that invaded her mouth, Addison ran towards the truck that was a few yards away from the prison's fences.

Ever so quickly, Addison pulled the keys out of the ignition, shut the passenger door closed and locked the truck. There were some supplies and things she assumed to be important and vital for their survival in there and she didn't want to leave everything exposed. After locking everything, she went to the bed of the truck to gather more ammunition and weaponry.

.

Lori was the first to notice when the young woman -Addison- turned her back to the group and ran towards her truck. She was torn between feeling astonished and shocked as she follow Addison with her eyes and watched as she locked the vehicle.

In all honesty, Lori Grimes didn't understand why she was even doing that, or for what purpose. What could possibly be going on inside that woman's head for her to lock a truck? It's not like the thefts rate were increasing lately... If anything, it was the complete opposite.

She was just trying to understand what the hell that girl was doing when her blood ran cold in her veins.

Down the road, a few miles behind the spot where the silver Ram was parked, Lori caught a glimpse of something that made her heart skip a beat. A small group of walkers was making their way towards them.

"Oh God…"

Addison was still picking some weapons and ammunition when she looked away from the truck and peeked over her shoulder.

"Holy shit…"

They were still considerably away from where she was standing, but still, that was bad. She was now caught between a prison infested of undead, and another bunch of them coming right at her. _Wasn't that great?_

"This is so fucked up," she muttered to herself as she put a couple more boxes of bullet inside the small duffel bag that she was filling and shoved the lid of the truck's bed shut.

Quickly sliding the handle of the bag across her chest, Addison resumed her running back to where she'd left Analeigh.

"The gate!" Addison shouted, not only to Analeigh, but also to the woman with the kids that, for some ungodly reason, was still outside the high fences. "Get to the gate! There's more coming!"

Lucky enough, she didn't hear any protests coming from anyone's end, and she figured that, much like herself, the rest of those people had seen the upcoming threat, given the looks on their faces – especially the brunette, who, speaking of which, had taken Analeigh with her and was heading towards the gates as she'd said.

"Do you know how to use a gun?" Addison asked when the woman she still didn't know the name approached her next to the half open gate.

For a couple of seconds, the woman stared at her dubiously.

"Look, we don't have time for this crap right now, okay!" Addison said annoyed. "Do you know how to use a gun or not?"

"I have one, don't I?" she finally responded.

Addison did her best to not roll her eyes at the woman. Sure she was thankful enough for her taking Analeigh with her, but she didn't need her attitude right now. Once again, she bit back an acid comment and decided to not pick up a fight – that wasn't the time or the place.

"Here," she said, pulling the only pistol she had in her holster and handed it to the still unknown woman. Addison could feel the woman's hesitancy. "Take it. It's better than this thing you have now and, considering the bigger picture here, you'll need it."

The other woman looked at the gun, at Addison, at the prison and at the horde that was approaching them before taking it.

"Alright."

"Great, now get inside if you don't want to be the first course of today's Menu."


	7. Desperate times

**DISCLAIMER:** THE WALKING DEAD AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. I do not own anything but my OCs and am still working on the plot but, just so you know, I haven't read the comics so, any resemblance to the plot-line from the comics is purely coincidental...

Once again, thank you everyone who's reading this story, and to those who take time to review, you guys are awesome. I appreciate each and every single one of you.

I have a new chapter and, much like the previous, it took me a while to finish and, although I'm not entirely sure of it, I decided to post it. I mean, tonight we have a new episode and I thought it'd be nice to give you all a new chapter :)

I'm sure you're all tired of reading this, but I feel the need to let you all know that I still don't have a Beta reader for this story... bear with me and my mistakes, please. Thank you, I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think!

* * *

**VII.** _Desperate times_

Rick Grimes felt something twitching within him when he saw Lori entering the prison's surroundings along with Carl, Beth and the two new girls, but he didn't argue. He had seen the horde of walkers that was coming and, despite what most people were probably thinking about him right now, he wouldn't leave them to die; not when Addison hadn't tried to hurt anyone, and not when there was a kid involved.

So he tried to look past the fact that there were strangers with his wife and ran towards the second set of gates and pushed it open, granting them all access to that small patio they've secured - Addison and the little blonde included.

Rick's eyes found Addison's dark ones and they just looked at each other for a moment. She didn't say a word and neither did he, but there was a silent respect build in her coal orbs; something that made the former Sheriff feel slightly less suspicious about her and her intentions - just slightly.

At that point, Rick didn't really know if he could name the emotions he was feeling anymore... There was the thrill of the small victory they just had, the surprise of the two girls sudden and unexpected appearance, the upsetting feeling of the constant reminder of the fact that they were in a place full of walkers and running seriously low on ammo... Not to mention the fact that he was tired to the bone, but he tried not to think about that. They were all tired. It's been quite a year after all...

Rick watched when Addison made her way towards the little blonde that came with her, and he frowned when his eyes landed on the bag she was now carrying. She sure as hell didn't have that two minutes ago. He was just wondering what on Earth was in that bag -and whether he should start really worrying- when he saw Lori talking to Carol.

"Where did you get that?" Rick asked his wife when he acknowledged the gun in her hands.

Lori looked blankly at Rick then at what he was referring to.

"Her," she replied simply, while indicating with a short movement of her head, the young brunette, who was on one of her knees, talking to the little girl.

Rick's frown grew bigger as he studied Addison more carefully. He guessed that the brunette should be in her twenties and, despite her being young, he didn't think she was weak. It was actually quite the contrary; how many young females he came across ever since the world had gone to shit? A far few, yes, but alone, like Addison? And still alive? That was definitely a first. Then he remembered the way she stood, protecting the little girl -Analeigh as he recalled her saying-, and how she seemed to be handling that rifle pretty damn well... No. That was no ordinary girl.

Rick was still watching the new girl when she stood up once again and made her way towards him, carefully.

"I saw you and your people facing those creatures," she began, with no ceremony, indicating the dead walkers all around. "Hand to hand."

Her voice had acquired a slight tone of surprise by the end and it didn't go unnoticed to Rick.

"Desperate times," he said nonchalantly, although, inwardly, he was also a bit impressed with what they all had done, given the circumstances.

Addison chuckled softly. "Yeah... But I must say, you people take the word _'desperate'_ to a whole new level..."

That was true, Rick thought to himself, but he didn't say anything about that. He didn't need a stranger to come around and tell him how insane the idea of taking the prison would've been. She knew nothing about them, she had no clue what they've been through so far. Rick opened his mouth to tell her all of that when she turned her head back to him.

"I also noticed you have some guns," she continued as if nothing had happened. "Why not use them?"

It was Rick's turn to not give her an answer right away. Instead, he just looked at her for a few seconds, as if trying to decide how to deal with that woman.

But, unlike five minutes ago, they couldn't afford wasting time, so Addison just ignored her unanswered question, grabbed her bag and fished for something inside.

Rick couldn't not look at it and, when he did, he couldn't help but stare at the content of Addison's bag. There were handguns, some of them with suppressors, boxes of assorted ammunition...

"What the..."

Rick turned his head and found Daryl standing right beside him. Judging by his expression and what he'd just said, he'd seen the small arsenal Addison carried in her bag too.

They exchanged a rather concerned look before she spoke again, drawing their attention back at her.

"Here," Addison said, sliding the strap off her shoulder and handing the bag to Rick.

Rick's eyes shifted from the bag to the woman in front of him and back to the bag.

"I'm not going to say it twice. Take it." This time, she practically shoved the bag into Rick's hands.

"The hell 're you doing this?" Daryl asked, looking at her dubiously.

He hadn't addressed her all that much because there was something about her that just made him fidget, and he didn't like that one bit. He wasn't used to anyone staring defiantly at him so openly like that; it was kind of unsettling. Normally, Daryl would just avoid whatever circumstances in which he'd be the center of attention of any kind, although this time, curiosity got the best of him and he just couldn't hold back the question.

But maybe he should have put a little extra effort into staying quiet because as soon as he uttered those words, a pair of piercing dark eyes landed upon him and he could almost feel the awkwardness. But he couldn't tell what was more awkward, if it was having her eyes locked on to him, or if it was the look she exchanged with Rick. It didn't last longer than one second, but Daryl didn't miss it.

"Desperate times," she said simply.

The hunter turned to face Rick; he kind of expected some kind of explanation, but the other man just nodded as he took the bag he was being handed.

#

"The walkers outside aren't a threat," Rick said as he quickly gathered the group again. "Those fences will keep them all out, just like those doors will hold the walkers inside," he added, indicating the building's doors. "But they're also keeping us out..."

Rick didn't have to carry on with his speech; everyone had understood what he wasn't openly saying.

This time, unlike when he proposed them to make a move and try to get the prison, he didn't hear anything about how crazy that idea was, nothing like that. Instead, Rick heard a couple of questions regarding the new addition.

"But what about her?" asked a rather concerned Maggie Greene.

"Yeah... what are we gonna do about the new girl and her kid?" questioned Glenn. He was almost whispering, but had put quite an emphasis on the 'kid'.

Rick's brain was working so hard, trying to process everything. There was just a lot to take in... There was a woman and a kid. A little girl who was younger than Carl and a woman that had _willingly _handed him a few guns and ammunition.

Why did she do that? Rick couldn't understand, no matter how hard he thought about that... She didn't know him. She didn't owe him anything, so why? Whatever reason why someone -anyone- would do something like that, especially in a completely fucked up world, was just beyond Rick's understanding. She should be expecting something in return, now what was that? Better yet, was it worth? Just..._ what the hell was he supposed to do?!_

Rick then looked at each and every single person and he could see a rather big spectrum of emotions and feelings tangled and dancing in their tired eyes... but, more than that, he could see they were waiting for him to say something. Anything.

"First things first," he said finally. Opening the bag Addison had given to him and doing the only thing he had in mind at the moment. "Let's deal with those walkers," Rick continued his speech as he handed the guns and ammo to everyone. "We'll figure something out later..."

#

Addison watched while the dark-haired man talked to the rest of his people. She kept her distance and tried to ignore the stares and curious eyes that every once in a while darted towards her while she reloaded and checked her rifle.

If those people -she still didn't know any names, by the way- were trying to be subtle about that, they were failing miserably.

But, while it didn't bother Addison the stares and everything, the same didn't work with Analeigh. The little girl couldn't hold back the insecurity and uncertainty that she was feeling.

"Auntie Dee-dee," she whispered as she gently tapped on Addison's back.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Are we going to stay here?"

Addison stopped what she was doing and knelt so she was now fully focused on Analeigh.

Brushing a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, Addison could see how tough Analeigh was being thus far. Despite her weak little voice, the strong hold around her toy, her biting on her lip, Annie was the toughest kid she had ever seen... Addison couldn't fathom how scary it was for the five year old to live in a world like that; she was twenty four and, every now and then, it scared the shit out of her! The thought of what this post-apocalyptic world was doing to that little girl made Addison feel this rage growing within her. It was so wrong.

Taking a deep breath, Addison whispered: "I don't think so, baby..."

"Dallas?" she asked softly.

Addison nodded, and as soon as she did so, she saw something flicker in the little girl's big grey eyes, but it was so fast that the brunette couldn't tell what it was for sure. The only thing she knew was that it wasn't anything cheerful. But then again, there was nothing really cheerful in their lives lately...

"Hey," Addison said, holding Analeigh's hands. "You and I... we'll be alright."

The look in Analeigh's eyes was both upsetting and encouraging. She was tired - they both were. But what else could Addison do? She had hopes for them to lay low for a couple of days, but that was a huge "maybe", since it really wasn't up to her...

Addison quickly glanced at the group that was gathered a few steps from where they were and she noticed the dark-haired man handing them the weapons and ammunition. Without even being a part of that group, Addison knew what was going to happen next.

"We'll be alright," she told Analeigh one more time and placed a soft kiss on the girl's forehead before standing up once again.

#

"Addison."

As the young woman took a few steps forward, approaching Rick, Daryl Dixon couldn't help but tighten his grip on his crossbow.

Rick had assembled a small group to make the first move towards the interior of that prison and, in all honesty, Daryl didn't like one bit to have a stranger with them. He didn't trust her at all, let alone with his life, and that's pretty much what they were doing there - fighting for their lives.

In Daryl's opinion, they could do it without that uptown girl... They've been surviving all sorts of shit all this time without her, so why the fuck would they bring her for something like that? What they were about to do, didn't have any room for mistakes, doubts. And that girl was just about that - doubts.

What was her deal anyway? Who in the world would just show up and hand out a bunch of weapons and ammo for random strangers they just came across? No. Something was off. But he couldn't be the only one to sense that, could he? No... I mean, Rick Grimes used to be a Deputy Sheriff, so why Rick didn't just left her out? Hershel was an old man, but he sure as hell could watch that girl. Then there was also Carol and Lori, and they both were armed so, why bring her along in the first place? Daryl just didn't understand...

So, when the brunette woman walked past him and towards the doors that were holding the walkers inside, Daryl had to muster all of his energy to not push her aside and tell her to get the hell out of his way...

.

"Remember," Rick said when Addison stopped next to him. "Open the door and back the hell off. We have no idea how many walkers are trapped in there and they'll come right at us."

Addison tried her best not to roll her eyes. She wasn't stupid. She had lived through that shit long enough to know how dangerous and vicious those creatures were, although she found it interesting how he addressed the walking corpses - _walkers_. It kind of fit.

"I got it," she said; her right hand instantly reached for the Desert Eagle she had placed in her thigh holster to replace the other gun she had handed to the woman with the kids. Her rifle was now with an older man, who was occupying one of those towers, aiming down there.

_Hopefully, not me,_ she thought to herself. _How stupid would it be to die with my own rifle and bullet?_

But then, she realized that, if that was her main concern, she should've thought about that before giving the bag to those people...

Mentally kicking herself, Addison shook her head and pushed those thoughts aside. She needed to focus. That was no time to lose her shit. No, sir.

Her hands closed around the cold metal that was the handle of the door and she looked at the man in front of her. His steel blue eyes had this intense look going on.

In all honesty, Addison had no idea why he had brought her with him for his outing to the prison's building, but, when she realized what she was getting into, and how she was surrounded by people with guns, the idea sounded less crazy that she had first imagined... and what the man's stern look was quietly telling her: if she messed up, that'd be her end. Pretty simple.

Addison ignored the shiver that had just ran down her spine and gave the man a short nod indicating she was ready; when he nodded back at her, Addison pulled the handle and the door slide open.

Then, it was "Dawn of the Dead", all over again.


	8. Trust has to be earned

**DISCLAIMER:** THE WALKING DEAD AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. I do not own anything but my OCs and am still working on the plot but, just so you know, I haven't read the comics so, any resemblance to the plot-line from the comics is purely coincidental.

As always, I'd like to thank everyone who's reading this story, all of you who are following, added this to your favorites, thank you. To those of you who reviewed it, YOU ARE OUTSTANDING! You are seriously the best. So thank you. So very much._ To me, you are perfect._

Also, this chapter is quite longer than the others and I thought I'd let you all know that I'm planning to write some Rick/OC friendship from now on, but fear not, I won't exclude Daryl. As a matter of fact, I plan on writing more Daryl scenes starting next chapter.

I tried to keep this story unbiased by the new season, but I'm not sure I succeeded... As you read it, you'll understand why. I feel like I should apologize, but at the same time, I already had something like this in mind so I don't really know. Just let me know what you think, okay? Your thoughts are important to me.

* * *

**VIII.** _Trust has to be earned_

Even though she was used to seeing hordes of those creatures that Rick called "walkers" and she was used to slaying them all, this small part of Addison was taken aback by the group's skills.

As soon as she pulled the door open, walker after walker stumbled out of their confinement and into the small patio that, just seconds ago, was walker free.

Addison quickly pulled her gun from its holster and pushed the safety off. Taking a small step to her right, she positioned herself diagonally to the open door so she would have a better view of the creatures that were leaving the prison; she also made sure she wasn't going to shoot anyone - or get shot, for that matter.

"Let them out! Let them out!"

She heard Rick's command and held her fire. Not that she was thinking about start shooting right away in the first place... Well, truthfully, the thought crossed her mind briefly, but she soon dismissed it when she realized it would only cause more harm than good. The door she had opened created a narrow space; big enough to allow two very slim people to pass through, but even that wasn't too much, after all those things weren't exactly the brightest creatures around and they definitely wouldn't line up so they could leave in pairs. Obviously not.

As they all observed, the walkers that had been trapped inside the prison were trying to leave their confinement all at once.

If anyone had had any doubts as to why Rick had instructed them to wait, now no one had any. If they started to shoot as they saw those creepy fuckers, they would have a problem when the bodies started to pill up, blocking the door.

So they waited.

It was strange to stood still and watch those creatures leaving their nest, but they did it.

Addison found herself taking a few steps back in order to create a bigger (and safer) space between herself and the walkers, but she managed to not open fire at any one... that is until they started to get too close.

When the first inmate walker approached her and the half-decomposed creature almost had her at arm's reach, Addison didn't hesitate in pulling the trigger.

The loud bang of her gun being fired echoed in her ears, muffling the soft noise that she was a somewhat used to by now: the almost imperceptible sound of bone being fractured as her bullet penetrated the walker's skull and it fell to the ground, this time, permanently deceased.

Addison inhaled deeply and tried to keep her mind clear; she couldn't afford having her focus compromised so she switched to automatic mode. Much to her displeasure, she'd been doing that for quite a while now and she knew the drill by heart so all that Addison had to do was just aim and fire, over and over again until there weren't any more walkers leaving the building...

.

Rick stood next to Daryl and the two of them, along with Glenn, Maggie and T-Dog put their brand new weapons to good use.

Walker after walker, the five survivors didn't waste any extra bullets - they all put one bullet into the head of each walker that had crossed the open door.

It surprised them, though, the little time that had elapsed until no more walkers were standing. Not five minutes later, the small patio was calm and peaceful again.

Slowly, Rick lowered his gun and looked around, just taking in what had just happened. He made a quick count of something around twenty bodies, maybe more, maybe less, scattered over the space between them and the building.

He brought his free hand up and rubbed his face; that was a lot and, honestly, he was thankful for the weapons and ammo that they had been given.

When the thought crossed his head, Rick instantly searched the survivors looking for the young raven haired girl, and he found her a few steps away from Glenn.

Much like his own fellow companions, Addison had this tired look in her eyes and her body language in general was screaming exhaustion... She had lowered her gun, but Rick could tell she still had her guard up.

He tried to read her, though that proved to be harder than he thought. She was standing not too far from him, and he could tell she wasn't unaffected by all of that, but still, as he looked at her, Rick felt like he was staring at a vase made out of crystal or something; he could see the exterior and whatever details that it had... but that was about it. And if he tried to have a look on the inside, he would see right through it.

There was something both unsettling and upsetting about her. Unsettling because he didn't like not being able to tell what her intentions were; upsetting because there was something quite melancholic entangled with that sense of emptiness...

Daryl also had a glimpse of that.

The hunter's first instinct when the walkers stopped coming was to look to his side. He saw Rick standing there, with this thoughtful expression plastered on his face. He then followed where the dark-haired man was looking and it all became clear - well, as clear as it could be...

Even though Daryl wasn't the kind of person who knew well how to read people, he was a hunter; he sure knew how to notice when something wasn't right. That much he had already figured out; the problem was: he couldn't tell what exactly wasn't fitting.

He was just thinking about that - and was considering talking to Rick about it - when he was distracted by the very same reason object of his disturbance.

The young, raven-haired woman was the first one to make a move, and much to his surprise, she motioned towards the entrance of the building.

#

Addison had taken a couple of steps forward and was almost at the door when she heard someone right behind her.

"The hell 're you doin', girl?"

She stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder. It didn't surprise her when she found the crossbow guy standing there, along with the rest of his group.

Addison's eyes shifted to the man that just spoke to her then to each and everyone else that was with him.

She noticed when the Asian man and the young woman with short hair exchanged a look and she also noticed the dubious expression plastered on the face of this African American guy... She didn't like being stared at like that, but she tried to ignore it. Right now, she had no strength to deal with almost anything...

"I'm going in," she said, trying to sound even and sure, but all she managed was to sound tired.

Addison had just turned her back to the five of them again and was to take a step towards the doors when a hand landed on her shoulder.

Addison glanced at the hand before turning to face whoever it was. She didn't really know what she was expecting to happen or how she expected them to react, but the expression on the man's face surprised her great deal.

Up until now, she'd been graced with nothing but cold stares, sometimes defiantly looks coming from the owner of those blue eyes, but right now, it was as if the iceberg had melted down a little and she could swear she'd seen some sympathy in those steel blue orbs...

"We're going too," said the man with dark hair.

#

With Rick and Daryl taking the lead, the small group of six crossed the open doors, venturing further into the unknown.

Even though they had just killed a bunch of walkers that were occupying that place not minutes ago, they were all more than a little tense when they set a foot inside that place.

No one said a word as they strolled, slowly and silently through the area. It wasn't exactly a small space, but it wasn't that big either, it should be big enough to fit something around thirty men comfortably - although comfortably, considering the place they were exploring could be something relative.

No one uttered one word as they walked further into what seemed to be a cell block. It looked empty, but looks could fool them all easily; there could be walkers still lurking inside their cells...

Rick stopped walking and it was almost as if they had rehearsed it because everyone followed suit, Addison included.

He simply indicated a small room on the right corner, next to the door they had just walked through.

"I'll check for keys," he whispered as quietly as it was possible, but even that sounded too loud for his liking. Then, he just signaled Daryl to stay and cover the place while he would go for the guard's room.

The hunter tightened the hold on his crossbow and breathed slowly, keeping the adrenaline in his system under control and his senses as sharp as he could.

Watching every step he took, Rick covered the space between the group and the room rather quickly and, ever so carefully, he climbed the stairs.

As he reached the door, he made a pause and inhaled deeply. His grip around the gun he was carrying tightened and Rick believed his knuckles would be soon turning white... He looked down and noticed that Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, T-Dog and Addison had formed a circle of some sort and they were paying attention to their surroundings. With that little demonstration of team work, Rick turned his attention back to the door and pulled it open.

It was empty, though. No guard, no walker, no body. It should probably be amongst those he put down right outside or somewhere else, he just didn't know.

A wave of disappointment washed over Rick as he stepped inside the empty space. His eyes hovered over the counter where a bunch of paper were scattered and four monitors that once were used to check on the cell and the prisoners sat on the right corner... Taking one step further into the small room, Rick could see his fellow companions through the glass that he was pretty sure it was bulletproof.

Standing there, Rick couldn't help but think that there were too many people counting on him...

He couldn't stop but wondering that West Georgia had automatic locks for the gates and the cells, but he didn't allow him mind to dwell on the thought for too long. Even if they did have automatic system, there should be keys, in case they had problems with the power or something like it.

"It's gotta be somewhere," he whispered to himself as he pushed the papers and tried to find the damn keys.

No such luck. But then he found a few drawers. He opened the first and he found nothing... the second one was also a dead end, although he found some bullets for a .9mm that wasn't there. Then he reached for the third one.

"Third time's a charm," he thought to himself. For about two seconds, a victorious smile appeared in his lips as he held the key-chain in his hands...

#

After locking the gate that granted access to the next cell block, the group of six people went through all rooms there were in that area; they didn't have any problems and, aside a few corpses here and there, all the cell units were empty.

"It's secure," Rick stated as they regrouped in the center of the open area.

It wasn't really necessary for him to say it since they all knew it, but it was really good to say it out loud... and Rick could tell, just by the look in their eyes, that Glenn, Maggie, T-Dog and Daryl found it equally reassuring to hear it.

Although, when he found Addison's eyes, he saw something else shadowing it: she was hesitant. But then again, why wouldn't she?

Rick took one step towards her and as soon as he did, he saw her raising her guard up once again. Their eyes met and, for a brief moment, Rick believed he saw a glimpse of fear in her dark orbs, but in a blink of an eye, it was gone, replaced by something a lot tougher.

If Rick ever doubted that girl was a fighter, that thought was long banished now. She was one and there were five from his group and still she was ready to fight if necessary. He needed to give her credit, she was brave.

He eased his expression and reached out a hand. "I'm Rick Grimes."

.

Addison looked at the man who had just introduced himself as Rick Grimes then at the rest of his group. She could see that no one was staring at her like she was some kind of wild animal about to attack any time - no one but the crossbow guy, who she had mentally nicknamed Jax without him knowing, obviously... but still, that was nice for a change, after all, if someone needed to fear someone, that would be her.

Willingly ignoring the pair of blue eyes scrutinizing her every movement, Addison lost her attitude for a moment and shook hands with the dark haired man.

"I never thought I'd say this ever again, but nice to meet you," she told him.

A small smiled played with the man's lips and she couldn't help but smile back at him. They weren't exactly friends nor did they trust each other, but they weren't hostile strangers anymore...

#

Up in one of the towers, Lori was growing impatient with every second elapsed that she didn't see her husband or anyone else. But she wasn't the only one who was having a hard time waiting... Analeigh was also pretty shaken.

Holding tightly onto Mr. Murphy, she tried not to draw any attention to her. She didn't whine, let alone cried, although not because she didn't want to -because she did-, but because she was among people she didn't know... and she remembered Uncle Nick's words the two times when they met strangers.

_"Annie, I need you to be strong for just a little moment, can you do that for me? Just sit tight and don't make a sound... Auntie Dee-dee and I will be right back. I promise, baby girl."_

Analeigh shut her eyes closed and bit on her lower lip as she buried her face on Mr. Murphy's furry body.

Now that she didn't have Auntie Dee-dee to hold her, it was hard to be strong for just a little while, but she tried. Tears were falling from her eyes and she was biting hard on her lip, but she didn't make a sound.

She was rocking back and forth, like Auntie Dee-dee did with her many times, and she was trying to shut the whole world out when she felt a hand on her shoulder and she shivered and let out a muffled cry.

"It's gonna be okay..."

Curiosity got the best of her and Analeigh loosened her grip on Mr. Murphy, raising her head, just a little, to see who was talking to her. It was the woman she'd mistaken for her mommy.

"Everything's gonna be okay," the woman told her in a soft voice, and offered her a smile.

For a moment, Analeigh didn't say anything. She knew that it wasn't alright to talk to strangers, but she was feeling so terrified, and that woman had this kind expression and, eventually, she spoke. It was more like a whisper, though...

"Uncle Nick said the same thing... and then he got sick..."

The woman's eyes suddenly acquired a sadder look and Analeigh just curled up a bit more and tried to ignore everything. She needed her Auntie Dee-dee.

.

Carol felt devastated when she heard what that little girl had just said. She knew what she meant by "he got sick". Whoever this Uncle Nick was, he must have died from whatever it was this thing that they all carried; if he got bit or just died, she couldn't tell, but he sure must have turned into a walker...

The thought sent shivers down Carol's spine. She knew that, in this world, people died more often than before this whole thing started, and she had experienced lost enough by now... but still, hearing that little girl talk about that was just too much.

She had lost her daughter, and that was something she'd carry for the rest of her days, but what about that little girl? How much that child had been through already? She was awful young...

Carol Peletier suddenly felt her heart getting smaller in her chest. It was like her soul was hurting, for her lost daughter once again, and also for that little girl... but now, Carol knew better than to sulk and mourn. After the Greene's farm was overrun and she almost got caught by a bunch of walkers, she made a promise that she would never be the weak one... not if she wanted to survive that shit. And she sure as hell didn't want to die.

Inhaling deeply, Carol rubbed small circles in the back of the little girl, who she didn't quite knew the name yet, but she felt the need to soothe her inner turmoil.

At first, the little blonde was tense and Carol could feel her tiny body shaking though softly, but after a while it felt like she was calming down... That is until she heard Lori.

"They're safe."

.

As soon as she heard those two words, Analeigh stood up and tried to get to the outer part of the tower to have a look, but a pair of hands quickly held her by the shoulders.

"Dee-dee," Analeigh let out a soft cry for she wanted to see if she was also okay, but the older woman wouldn't let her go there.

A few more tears fell from her red eyes. "Auntie Dee-dee!"

"She's fine, too."

Analeigh noticed the woman kneeling by her side and talking straight at her. "Your Auntie Dee-dee is fine, too."

That was all she needed to hear. Before anyone could stop her, Analeigh turned her back to everyone and started her way down the stairs. The tears and the crying she'd been holding were now uncontrollable.

#

By the time they were leaving the cell block and, consequentially, the building compound, Addison knew the names of the five people that she had spend the last ten minutes with, give or take.

There was Rick Grimes who seemed to be a very reasonable man. The African American guy's name was T-Dog - or that should be a nickname, Addison thought to herself -, the Asian guy was Glenn, the young woman with short hair was Maggie and then there was the crossbow guy, Daryl. With the exception of the latter, everyone else seemed to be okay with her presence there; they had stopped addressing her odd looks and she even exchanged a few words with them. Although Daryl...

He seemed to be close to Rick, though and Addison decided not to push her luck. Maybe they weren't strangers any longer and, even though she had just helped them fight those creatures, they didn't trust each other; they respected each other, but trust? That was a whole different story... so she just tried to pretend she wasn't acknowledging his frowny expression and just went with faux ignorance - but, deep down, it was bothering her... but why? Why his attitude was affecting her?_  
_

Back in the open, Addison shook her head, trying to push that thought away; there were other - and most important things for her to worry so, why was she thinking about that man?

_Priorities, Addison. **Priorities**._

She hurried to busy her mind with everything that just had happened when she heard Analeigh's voice cutting through the air.

"Dee-dee!"

The brunette instantly looked at the direction from where she heard her nickname being called and found them. Analeigh was running towards her with the older woman she'd seen moments earlier right behind her.

"Dee-dee..."

Addison knelt to the ground at the very same moment Analeigh reached her. The little blonde threw her arms around Addison's neck and buried her face into her hair. She could feel Analeigh's tears wetting her skin and she could feel her little body shaking as she wrapped her arms around her tiny waist.

"It's okay, Annie," she whispered. "We're okay, sweetheart... we're just fine."

While she was holding Analeigh, Addison caught a glimpse of the gray-haired woman's face. Even though it was veiled, even though she was trying to keep it bottled up, Addison could still see in her clear blue eyes the suffering she was trying to hold back... Her expression was nothing like before, but it was enough to make Addison's stomach turn into knots and she couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

The woman hugged herself and, as she did so, her blue eyes found Addison's dark ones and the younger woman felt her heart skipping a beat. There was longing in those light blue eyes and it was almost as if Addison could feel the woman's sorrow.

She wanted to say something, do something, but she didn't know what. For about eight years, Addison had managed to keep her own pain locked away, and now, it was all coming back to haunt her.

"Dee-dee."

It was only when Analeigh's soft hands placed on her cheeks that Addison realized she had zoned out.

Blinking a couple of times in a vain attempt to push all the emotions that had just surfaced again, the raven haired girl turned her attention to the tiny human being that was right in front of her.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Are you okay?"

How was it that that five year old girl could have such expressive eyes? Those big gray orbs were fixed on her and Addison felt like Analeigh was staring into the depths of her soul, and that was unsettling.

"I'm perfectly okay," she said as she tucked a lock of her blonde hand behind her ear.

"Did they get you?"

There was evident fear in Analeigh's voice and Addison suddenly felt super guilty for she was the reason behind that fear.

"They didn't get me," Addison reassured the frightened child.

"You won't be... sick then?" she asked hesitantly, as if she wasn't sure she'd like to hear the answer.

Addison's lips parted in a small but sincere smile. "I won't be sick."

Once again, Analeigh's arms closed around her neck and, this time, Addison didn't have to calm the little girl for she wasn't upset anymore.

#

After a while, Rick and the others decided to give some space to Addison and the kid. That seemed to be a rather personal situation for them to stay there, so they headed to where Lori and Hershel were.

"One of the cell blocks is clear," Rick informed them.

"Is it safe?" Beth asked dubiously. "I mean... aren't more walkers in there?"

"We secured part of the area," Rick explained while Maggie stood next to her sister. "There are heavy gates and we locked them. Not even a thousand walkers would ever get through that. They're built to resist a lot more than walkers."

There was a moment of silence in which they all enjoyed that small victory. It was indeed the best they all felt in a while... The loss of the farm was something that caught them all unprepared. They went from feeling safe to feeling completely exposed; it was a hard thing to experience, to have what you thought to be safe, certain to be torn apart... For a while, Rick felt powerless. That is, until they stumbled upon that prison. And also that young girl...

It was as if Carl was reading his mind, he thought, for the next thing he heard was his son asking him about just that.

"What's gonna happen to them?"

Rick spared a glance at Addison, who still had Analeigh in her arms.

"They're fine..."

"So... she isn't dangerous?"

Lori's words made Rick frown inwardly. He wanted to ask her if she looked dangerous with that kid but he decided that it wouldn't do any good to be like that. Instead, he inhaled deeply and said what he truly believed.

"I think, if she wanted any of us dead, we'd already be dead."

Rick noticed Hershel nodding in agreement. She had not only given up her bag, but also handed her own rifle to Hershel so, she couldn't be that bad... Well, at least Rick never heard of anyone who'd share weapons with those they wanted dead, so...

But while everyone seemed a somewhat okay with the presence of Addison there, Rick noticed that Daryl wasn't one of those.

"What is it?" he asked the hunter quietly.

Daryl had been standing by his side rather silently so far and, even though Rick knew that Daryl wasn't a very talkative person, there was something about his demeanors that made him ask that question.

Daryl looked from Rick to Addison and frowned slightly.

"Dunno..."

Rick shifted a little. "Speak your mind," he said encouragingly.

Daryl's opinion mattered to him and he wanted to know what he thought was going on.

The hunter held onto the strap of his crossbow as he studied the new girl. Sure none of that really mattered right now, but she looked too upscale to be there... and, while she looked rather tough, he couldn't help but wonder how exactly she got there by herself.

"Why a girl like that is ridin' solo? And how the hell she managed it?"

In all honesty, Rick had been thinking about that too, but they were all dead ends and he didn't think he'd have an answer to those questions unless he asked her... but even if he did ask her, would he believe her? It was just too much for him to consider and, a few moments ago, they had bigger problems in their hands.

"So... what d' you suggest?" Rick asked, but Daryl didn't answer. First, because he didn't really know what he would suggest and second, because Addison had stood up and was coming right at them.

.

With Analeigh holding tightly onto her hand, Addison made her way towards the small group gathered a few yards away; she walked slowly for she didn't want to startle anyone, but then, she noticed Rick and Daryl were staring at her, so she increased her pace a little.

As she stood before the two men, she sensed something going on. Despite her curiosity, she just addressed them quick glances and decided to let it slide, after all, she had other things in mind.

"I hate to do this but... there's something I gotta do, and I could use your help," she said carefully.

She stood still when Rick exchanged a look with Daryl.

Addison could tell Daryl wasn't quite pleased with that, and even Rick seemed rather distrustful, but she really had no other options. Well, she actually had, but that'd be just plain stupid... So she just stood there and waited.

"And what's that?" the dark haired man asked trying to sound nonchalant but failing a little.

"I need to get to my truck."

With a small movement of her head, she indicated the silver Dodge Ram that was still where she had parked... and there were a few walkers outside. Something around twenty, perhaps a bit more.


	9. Little by little

**DISCLAIMER:** THE WALKING DEAD AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. I do not own anything but my OCs and am still working on the plot but, just so you know, I haven't read the comics so, any resemblance to the plot-line from the comics is purely coincidental.

Oi oi!

First of all, I'd like to thank all of you who are reading this story! Thanks a lot for the review on my last chapter! Your words and thoughts on this story mean a lot to me and they definitely make me want to write more and more! So, from the bottom of my heart, I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewing. You guys are awesome!

So, I know some of you are interested in learning more abut Addison and Analeigh's past, and I'd like to tell you that I'm working on that!

Anyhow, new episode tonight (who's excited?!) and here you go: new chapter! Now, this isn't exactly what I had originally planed for this chapter, but while I was writing things were happening and I'm quite pleased with this. I'm not sure if there's enough of our beloved redneck here, but I'm working on it, folks. I promise. Still, I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think!

* * *

**IX.** _Little by little_

_"I need to get to my truck."_

As soon as he heard those words, red flags appeared all over Daryl's radar. Not much because of the horde of walkers outside, if you may, but because of what could be interpreted from those words...

"The hell ya need your truck for?"

Daryl wasn't one for kindness and subtle had never been his strong suit, so his question came out rather harshly. Even Rick looked at him, though he wasn't exactly surprised. Addison on the other hand...

As her dark eyes bore into Daryl's blue ones, the hunter couldn't help but think she had quite the death stare. If looks could kill, he'd be in deep shit right now... but that wasn't the case, so he just held his stance and didn't avert his eyes.

The two of them didn't carry that silent battle of egos for too long. After a couple of seconds, Addison eased her attitude.

"Personal matter," she spoke, trying to casual. "I have some personal belongings there, among other things that I need."

"Or ya just want to tell your group ya found 'em a safe place," Daryl replied, not really bothering in keeping his suspicious to himself.

As soon as she heard his words, Addison arched an eyebrow; her facial expression was as blank as an empty canvas.

"Yeah, you got me," she said, not being able to hold back her sarcastic side. "The reason I want to get to my car is so I can get my phone, check my GPS and text them my current location. Maybe also send them an e-mail, you know, just in case..."

There was only so much Addison could take and a guy telling her that she was being deceitful this entire time was definitely not one of those things... She helped them. Hell, she gave them guns, for crying out loud! Not to mention she was exhausted, her whole body was aching and now that guy? That had just become too much for her to handle.

"Look, I already told you," she continued, although this time, she addressed her speech to Rick. "It's just us. I won't do anything; I just got to get something for Analeigh... Someone can come with me if that's going to make you feel better," she added when he didn't say anything, casually glancing at Daryl - his sour face hasn't faded yet.

Rick pondered what she told him for a moment. Deep down, he didn't think she was lying, but he didn't think he could trust her just yet... After what happened with Shane, trust was something Rick was struggling with. Sure those were extraordinary circumstances, but still.

"How are you on gas?" he asked after a moment.

Addison furrowed her eyebrows at Rick's question. It sounded incredibly random and, even though she tried to understand where it had come from, she failed miserably.

"Why do you ask?" she inquired, more out of curiosity than anything else, although part of her was suspicious of the reason behind that particular question.

"Our vehicles are a few miles away," Rick said very casually.

Addison inhaled deeply and allowed her body to relax again. Without noticing, she had even reached for her gun and unstrapped the safety that was keeping her weapon in place; she let go of the gun as she let out a soft chuckle.

"I see... So, here's what I propose: you help me get to my truck and I'll share my gas with you, how about that?"

Once again, Rick considered her words for a couple of seconds. Didn't take him long to realize she wasn't saying any nonsense.

"Sounds reasonable," he admitted with a nod.

A small smile flourished in Addison's lips. "Good."

#

"When I said someone could come with me, this was _not_ what I had in mind..."

Addison tightened the grip around her Desert Eagle while they waited for Glenn.

She was ready to get back outside but instead of one person, there were three coming with her. Rick, Glenn and Daryl. But, at the same time she had a few issues with the latter, his presence there wasn't exactly her main concern. She was far more worried being slowed down...

"Ya have a problem?"

Ever so slowly, Addison turned her head to face the man standing by her left side. Daryl.

"Not if I don't end up getting bitten, no," she said coolly.

Her eyes found Daryl's and she defiantly arched an eyebrow at him. Oh how she wanted for him to say something, anything so she could be as insufferable as he was being...

But he didn't. And Rick hurried to put a definite end on that matter, avoiding whatever discussions that could start from that.

"No one's gonna get bitten," he said rather harshly and glared at the two of them.

Addressing Daryl the same side look he had while looking at her, Addison turned her attention to the truck ahead of them... If that man was trying to scare her away, he'd have to do better than that.

.

Daryl felt something twitching within him as Addison fixed her stare onto him.

Never in his life had he enjoyed to be the center of attention, for he learned that, whenever it happened, something bad was bound to happen. Whenever people noticed him, he always ended up with some kind of injury... whether it was in school, or at home. It was always like that, and he still had the scars to remind him of it.

Daryl had went through too much to realize that the best way to go through anything was being invisible, so he kept his distance from people and learned to rely on no one but himself... that is until the freaking apocalypse started and he was forced into a group in order to have better chances of survival.

It hadn't been easy. Going from a lone wolf to a member of a considerably large group required adjustment; Daryl still struggled with the whole society thing, even nowadays... but it was fairly easy since everyone seemed to respect his loner side and they didn't really bother him.

And then Addison showed up.

Daryl bit on the inner part of his lips as he watched her arch an eyebrow while staring at him.

_Damn girl..._

Shaking his head, he tried to ignore her presence there, but that was easier said than done. He didn't trust her, so there was just no way in hell he'd leave her out of his sight... It was just a matter or precaution.

Finally, Glenn joined them. By that time, Daryl's mood had changed drastically and he wasn't one bit cheerful - not that he ever was the poster boy for happiness and whatnot, but he was feeling annoyed. So much that he would have lashed out at the Korean guy if Rick hadn't give them the sign, indicating they were going out.

#

Getting to her truck had been easier than Addison had thought.

With a little help from Hershel, the four of them managed to put down all the walkers and reached her truck in record time.

"Well, that was fun," Addison said as she placed her gun back in its holster. She then unlocked the truck and indicated with a short nod that they all could get in.

"Now," she continued after she occupied the driver's seat and turning to face Rick, who was sitting right next to her. "Your vehicles... Where are they?"

"I'll tell you the way," he said simply.

Now that they were in relative peace and safety, Addison had a better look at Rick Grimes. Maybe it was the adrenaline running low in his system, or maybe it was something else completely different, but it looked like, as he sat on the passenger seat of her truck, the dark haired man seemed exhausted, and his tone of voice agreed with her. Addison figured he should be in his early forties, but if she was to guess based only in the look in his eyes, she'd say he was older than that, like he'd been through a huge and whole lot... but, these days, who hasn't?

She just gave him a short nod. Something inside her didn't want to argue with that man; it looked like he had enough to deal with and she didn't want to add any more to that. It didn't seem right.

.

Since Rick and Addison were occupying the front seats, Daryl and Glenn were left with the back seat of the Ram.

Neither one minded not being shotgun or whatever, but they exchanged a look when they saw a few bags on the floor of the truck.

"Just pile them up on one side."

They both looked at the woman sitting behind the steering wheel.

Daryl couldn't help but notice that something had changed in her demeanors. Addison didn't look half as concerned and detached as she did a while back; it was almost as if she was in her element. Despite their presence there, it was like she was almost comfortable...

_Who the hell feels comfortable in the presence of strangers?_

The question popped in Daryl's mind and he frowned inwardly. He knew he wouldn't come up with an answer right away, but he couldn't help but wonder... How long had she been alone? For how long had the two girls been traveling through this god-forsaken world? What was their story?

Daryl didn't realize he was lost in thought until he heard Glenn calling out her name.

"Daryl..."

He blinked a couple of times and pushed his thoughts aside. It was only then that the hunter noticed he was still standing there.

"Oi, cowboy! Would you please get in already? We're wasting daylight here..."

Muttering some unintelligible words, Daryl quickly got inside the truck and shut the door. That was the first time that he had lost track of time out in the open but still, it was not acceptable.

As the truck started to move, Daryl decided that would never happen again, but he was still considering which was the best path to follow: if he would try to get answers for his questions or just work a little harder to ignore Addison's presence there...

.

"Over there."

Addison had been following Rick's instructions for about five minutes or so when he finally pointed out the two cars and a motorcycle parked on the side of a small secondary road.

"Gotcha," she said as she pulled over and killed the engine of the truck right in front of the motorcycle.

Ever so carefully, Addison stepped out of the truck; automatically, her eyes scanned her surroundings, searching for any walkers lurking in the woods... None showed up, but that didn't mean she let her guard down, it was quite the contrary. She pulled her gun out of its holster and checked the magazine; there were only five rounds left.

"Over here," she said and just like that, three pairs of eyes were looking at her.

Addison indicated the back of the truck with a short nod and the three men followed her lead.

Rick was just instructing Glenn and Daryl to keep watch on both ends of the road when Addison spoke again.

"No." For the second time in less than two minutes, the young woman was the object of everyone's attention. "Just pay attention to the surroundings and we'll hear them before they become too much of a threat. I'm gonna need help with this," she said, tapping on the silver truck bed cover.

"I'm sorry but... how exactly where you planning on deal with this with only one pair of extra hands?" Glenn asked curiously. Just like Addison, the Asian man gave the cover a gentle tap and learned that it was made of some solid material: carbon fiber probably.

"Same way I've been dealing with it by myself," she said calmly. "But that was before I learned you had three vehicles... I was just planning on siphoning some of the gas from the tank, but that doesn't sound reasonable right now, so..."

The three men stood next to Addison and facing the bed of the truck as they waited for her to unlock everything and open it.

What they were expecting to see there, neither one of them were sure, but it was probably not what they were seeing...

Rick and Daryl soon exchanged a surprised look while Glenn just stared at the contents of Addison's truck.

"Holy shit..." The Asian man couldn't himself. There were too many weapons stocked in there. Too many to count, Rick thought as his eyes scanned the fire power she had.

Assault rifles, sniper rifles, shotguns, automatics, semi-automatics... the list just went on and on, and there were a few bags that he could only wonder what they were holding.

_No wonder she didn't mind giving up some handguns,_ he thought to himself.

"Came across a gun shop a while back." Blinking the surprise away, Rick turned to face Addison, who had just spoken. "Now, if you don't mind, I could use a hand here."

Rick's eyes focused on the metal footlocker which Addison was removing the padlock.

"What's in there?" he asked dubiously, looking suspiciously at the metal trunk.

"What do you think?" Addison pulled the lid open so Rick could have a look inside. There were three jerry cans sitting there. "You know... If we leave both things together, gun powder and gasoline can become a messy combination."

That sounded damn right, Rick thought to himself, and he was to comment on that when a husky voice spoke next to him.

"And what exactly ya'll be usin' this for?"

Addison and Rick turned their head so they were looking at Daryl. It didn't really surprise the woman when she saw the object of Daryl's curiosity, but apparently, it surprised Rick.

"In case ya didn' notice, this is the fuckin' apocalypse," he continued as he scrutinized her bow and quiver as if they were about to turn into a two headed snake and bite him or something. "Not some damn Hollywood movie..."

"Wow, that's funny," she said, a ghost of a smile played with the corner of her lips. "Especially since it's coming from the guy with the _crossbow_..."

In her peripheral vision, Addison saw Glenn and even Rick trying to suppress a smile, but Daryl just frowned and slightly narrowed his steely blue eyes at her.

She didn't waver, though, but there was something in his eyes that made Addison look away.

"Here," she said, turning her attention back to Rick. "Help yourself with one of these... I'm sure it'll do."

.

Daryl kept an eye locked on the young brunette as she and Rick proceeded to filling the tank of the old red and white Chevy truck while he and Glenn went for the Hyundai.

"What's wrong?"

He heard Glenn's quiet question and allowed his eyes to look away from Addison for a moment.

Glenn was just pouring the gas that Rick had given to him in gallon he had in his truck's bed into the tank of the utilitarian vehicle, but he hadn't missed the glare that the hunter was addressing the brunette.

"Don't trust her," Daryl replied as he tightened the grip on his crossbow.

Glenn chose to bit back his comment. He was to tell Daryl that he seemed to have trust issues but didn't, mainly because, after running into Tony and Dave and the repercussions of Randall being brought into the farm, everyone had their reservations when it came to strangers...

"She seems fine," Glenn said carefully as he emptied the small gallon.

"Looks can fool ya," Daryl spat without even thinking.

He wasn't wrong though. Even before the whole world went to shit, Daryl wasn't wrong... Looks could be deceitful, and, despite everything, Glenn knew there was a huge share of truth built in those words.

Daryl glanced at Glenn with the corner of his eyes and noticed the young Asian had this lost in thought expression plastered on his face. It didn't surprise Daryl, though. Everyone knew that Glenn had this thing within him where he was able to see the good in people, kind of like Dale. Now, maybe that was a flaw, maybe that was a quality... but whatever it was, Daryl decided to not go there and leave that alone. It was Glenn who helped Rick in Atlanta and the man proved to be honorable enough, so. But he wasn't convinced about that Addison chick.

"Yeah, but... she's helping us," he heard Glenn saying and his words bore this hopeful tone.

Daryl didn't respond right away. Instead, he took a moment to weight Glenn's words and to study the new girl; she was a few meters from him, talking to Rick.

"Reckon that," he said after a few seconds. "But why?"

Glenn shrugged and tossed the empty gallon in the truck of the SUV. "I don't know... Maybe she's tired of being alone?"

Daryl inhaled deeply as he narrowed his eyes at the brunette. She was too far and couldn't see him, let alone hear the conversation the two just had, but still, the hunter found the need to be cautious.

"Maybe," he said; his voice was just a whisper.

#

"So, pardon me if I'm being rude but... what's your deal?"

As she heard Rick's words, Addison tried to let out an amused chuckle but it sounded forced to her ears. She knew he would have noticed that too.

"What's my deal?" she echoed his question as she kept an eye on the road. It seemed empty, but she knew that could be just the calm before the storm. "I don't have a deal," she added shortly, addressing a glance at the dark haired man.

"Well," he said, shifting on his spot and quickly glancing around. "Since you survived this far, I'm sure you can understand my concern..."

"That I can," Addison admitted simply.

For a few seconds, Rick believed that was everything he'd get from her. But even though he hadn't really learned anything about her, he had a feeling she wasn't really a threat... He didn't trust her, but he also didn't think she had bad intentions.

Then, he heard her speak again and pushed all of his thoughts aside.

"Before today, I've stumbled upon some other survivors..."

Rick soon noticed there was something dark in her words. It was right there, right on the surface for him to miss it. Not only was her tone a bit grim, but also the look in her eyes.

Suddenly, the thought of Randall's group and what Daryl said about them and they did invade his mind. Rick searched her face and what he saw there, made his stomach revolve in disgust; she seemed distraught, as if the sole mention of those days were, or just the thought of it was hard enough for her to bear. He didn't have the heart to ask her what went on in those occasions when she "stumbled upon some other survivors", but he knew one thing, if she didn't try to pull any tricks on him, he was willing to have her around... Her and Analeigh, obviously.

"I noticed you didn't hesitate in leaving Analeigh behind... How come?" Rick asked as he finished filling the tank of the truck.

That was something that had been slightly disturbing him ever since they decided to leave for the vehicles.

Addison didn't bring Analeigh, and she was pretty adamant with the little girl when she told her she'd be leaving for a moment and that she should stay there.

"Call me crazy, but I didn't think it was wise to bring a five year old along... It's not like we're going for a fun ride in the first place," she told him while taking a few steps away. "Besides, pardon me if I'm being rude but, I couldn't tell if it'd be my last one," Addison added as she walked back to where Rick was standing. "Since you survived this far..."

"Yeah," Rick said as he picked the lid of the jerry can from the ground. "I understand."

"I knew you would."

As a ghost of a smile played with the corner of her lips, Rick became more aware of what was happening: that girl who had just helped him killing the walkers, outside and inside the prison, that girl who had willingly handed over guns and ammunition, that same girl who drove him, Daryl and Glenn there and gave them part of her fuel was just about that: a girl. A girl that had just risked her life to help a group of people she had never seen... That alone proved to him how different she was from the other survivors he came across back in the bar.

She wasn't like that. He would have known if she was... No. In all honesty, Addison reminded Rick of Morgan. The man who saved his sorry ass when he really didn't have to. He could've left him there and Rick would have died before finding his family, but he chose to help him. Just like Addison.

Rick was just thinking what he should tell her, because he felt like he needed to say something after everything, when Glenn and Daryl approached them.

"We're good to go," Glenn announced, pulling Rick back from his thoughts.

"Right... We should head back then."

Suddenly, Addison had this strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that wasn't one bit comforting. What if she was going to be left behind? She didn't think Analeigh would be mistreated or anything like that, but she didn't like the idea of being separated from the kid. Not at all.

Addison's reaction to Rick's words, albeit minimal and very discreet, didn't go unnoticed to the three men. Daryl was the first one to analyze her, trying to decipher her thoughts and intentions; for the first time since he laid eyes on her, she seemed hesitant, frightened almost. He didn't believe in what he was seeing at first, but then he figured she shouldn't be faking it, after all, she was alone and there were three of them...

Just like that, Glenn's words made a lot more sense to Daryl. No matter how hard he tried to think about the things she may have done and what she could possibly do, right now, he was considering one thing only: even though he'd been alone for the most part of his life, he couldn't fathom what it would be like to be stranded in this fucked up world with anyone to have his back; as much as he didn't like that group at first, he was never in fact alone. They all looked up for each other, and, although that was something new to Daryl, he couldn't help but wonder how far it got him - being a part of a group.

When he got hurt while looking for Sophia, they helped him, patched him up, treated him like he was a valuable part of whatever kind of thing they had going on. And that made a huge difference in Daryl's life; he never really wasted too much time thinking about that, but he couldn't tell for sure where he'd be, or what he would be, if it wasn't for Rick and the rest of the people...

It was with equal surprise that Daryl realized that there was this small part of him that respected that woman. She should be one tough chick to survive that far, so he'd give her that.

Daryl didn't even frown when Rick turned to Addison and said they should get going...

#

Carol watched as the little blonde girl gingerly sat on the hard floor and rocked back and forth, all the while holding her toy.

They all had just moved into the cell block that had been cleared and secured and most of them were enjoying the welcoming change in the game.

Sure it wasn't the best thing ever, but after what they've been through, it felt nice to have a place where they could just sit back, even lie down and breathe. It was finally peaceful in that prison and, if there was one thing that group of survivors learned was that they needed to enjoy what they had while they had, because whatever would come next was just unpredictable...

So, after going through the place, Carol found herself sitting on a bunk bed while keeping an eye on Analeigh.

For some reason, before heading out, Addison came up to her instead of Lori and asked her to watch the little girl.

To say that the request came as a surprise to the older woman was the understatement of the year. Carol had no idea why Addison asked her to do that when the two of them hadn't exchanged any words at all -she didn't even knew her name before that; it was Maggie who told her later-, but she didn't even hesitate in agreeing with that. And she still remembered the young brunette's words when she said yes to her unusual request.

_"Thank you," she told Carol, and then she knelt to the ground and looked at Analeigh straight in the eyes. "Annie, this lady here is going to take care of you while I'm out okay?" Carol could see the little girl wasn't happy with that, but Addison cupped her face gently and said, "There's no need for you to worry... She's going to take good care of you while I'm out."_

Of course Carol would take good care of her, but it touched the woman when she heard someone say that, someone she didn't even know...

Looking at the little girl all curled up on the floor, Carol felt the need to live up to Addison's words.

"Annie?"

Her gray eyes looked up at her for a few seconds; they were so full of something that resembled sadness way too much to Carol so she just left the bunk bed and made her way towards the toddler.

"You don't have to worry, Annie," she said softly while sitting right next to Analeigh.

Analeigh whispered something in return but it was muffled by the stuffed toy she was holding onto as if her life depended on it.

"What did you say, honey?"

"Don't want them to hurt Auntie Dee-dee..."

The despair and fear in that little girl's voice was too much and Carol felt her heart aching.

"But they won't hurt her," Carol said; she wanted to hold the frightened child, but knew it would be too overwhelming to her.

"Uncle Nick told Auntie Dee-dee there were bad men..."

Carol could barely hear what Analeigh was saying for she was just whispering, but she understood her words and, for a moment, she tried not to think what those two girls had to go through...

"Rick is not a bad man," Carol hurried to say. She knew it could be a very poor thing to say, especially when she doubted Rick's intentions not too long ago, but that was really all she had to say.

Carol was still trying to think of something better to say when Analeigh's grey orbs found her blue ones.

"Rick is going to take care of your Auntie Dee-dee," she told Annie, trying to sound as reassuring as possible because, suddenly, there were tears falling down from her eyes and her lower lip was trembling, like she was trying not to make any sound.

"Promise?"

Analeigh's words were so shaken and her tears were streaming down her cheeks that Carol couldn't hold any longer. She reached out and gave the girl's tiny hands a soft squeeze.

"Yes," she said honestly.

Then, it surprised her when Analeigh crawled onto her lap and sat there, allowing Carol to hold her.

"I promise," she repeated, hoping to God she wasn't saying any lies...


	10. Moral standards aren't the same anymore

Another extraordinary update! Hooray!

But first things first; I'd like to say** thank you so, so much**. I'm having a great time writing this fic and I always love to see people adding this to their alerts and favorites; it really makes me so very happy! Thank you everyone. Seriously. But super special thanks to the lovely people who are reviewing! Your words and your feedback on the story is what keeps me going. So thank you for taking some time of your lives to read this piece of work. I very much appreciate all of you. Even though I don't reply to all of you (I should, I know. I'll work on that.), I absolutely adore to know what you guys think and how you feel about my this story.

I also wanted to say that I changed a few things in a few chapters... Now I'd like to apologize for I know how crappy it sounds but, after some consideration, I've come to the conclusion that it was probably for the best so I decided to do it anyways. You don't have to re-read everything because it's a small little thing that I changed, and that would be Carl's age. Yep. When I fist started this fic, I had in mind Carl's age in the comics. I haven't read that yet, but I came across a few info and stuff saying he was 8. Okay. But in the show, he's 13 and that's pretty much why I decided to change it. Because it sounds more believable, even though I'm not really following the events of the show... yet. Might happen in the future, not sure (_what do you think?_). Anyhow, long story short: that's what I wanted to tell you. Carl's not 9, he's 13. Sorry about that and I sure hope it won't happen again.

But oi! Let's get down to business now, shall we?

New update, earlier than my usual update date for I had all these feels from last episode - OMFG WHAT WAS THAAAAAT?! I cried like a baby, I won't even lie. It was heartbreaking and I'm still not over. So, new chapter for you and reviews for me? They make me smile and write/update faster ;D Hope you all enjoy!

_(Sorry for the mile long Author's Note)_

* * *

**X.** _Moral standards aren't the same anymore_

Unlike the rest of the women, Maggie found it very hard to sit and wait.

If she was honest, the older daughter of Hershel Greene would have admitted it was because she was worried sick with Glenn; even though she told him it was okay that he was going out with Rick, Daryl and Addison to get the vehicles, deep down she didn't like that at all.

They all had a damn close call the other day and the idea of being separated scared the crap out of her. She loved Glenn; maybe it was the end of the world and maybe they knew each other for no longer than a few months but Maggie knew what she felt, and now that he was away, she could feel the anxiety growing by the second. And staying inside that prison was suddenly too much. She needed space. She needed some fresh air but, most of all, she needed Glenn.

"Hey," she said as she stepped inside the guard tower where T-Dog was keeping watch. "Anything?"

For the first time ever since he got up there, T-Dog looked away from the entrance gates and to Maggie.

"Not yet," he said softly. He could see in her eyes, as clear as a sunny day that she was growing impatient. "But they just left, so..."

Maggie bit her lips and wrapped her arms around her body. "Yeah..."

The two of them remained silent for a few more minutes, eyes scanning the horizon, looking for any sign of Rick, Glenn, Daryl and Addison... They didn't have to wait longer, though. A few minutes of watch and they heard the distinct sound of Dixon's bike, soon followed by the headlights of the Hyundai.

"It's them!"

#

The sun was starting to make its trek down the sky, heading towards the horizon line as they all managed to get the few belongings they had in their vehicles and found themselves a place to spend the night inside the cell block that had been secured.

It was evident that the days were getting smaller and the coldness started to significantly increase as the winter approached them, showing no mercy.

"Should've gone huntin' while we're back there on the road," Daryl said as he place his arrows on top of the small round table that sat in one of the corners of the spacious room and pulled a piece of rag to clean them.

Rick, who was wandering next to him, heard his words and even though part of him agreed with the hunter, the other part of him just tried to not think about that.

"It was too risky," he replied. "If we had done that, we'd still be out there..."

Daryl knew Rick wasn't saying any lies or being too dramatic; they did spend one hell of a lot time with the walkers and the prison, and given the most recent events, it was reasonable Rick's decision of keeping the group together... But part of Daryl still thought it'd be better if he had gone hunting; they had nothing to eat and it's been quite a while since they last had any kind of meal.

Both men tried to push the thought aside, but it was pretty hard to ignore the ache in their stomach. They were just working on keeping their minds busy with something else when they heard footsteps approaching them.

They both raised her heads so they were facing the new company. Not many people wanted to be around Rick these days unless necessary so it didn't surprise him when they saw Addison walking up to them. She was new, so she had no idea what kind of shit they've been through and what kind of drama they had going on...

"Hey," she said as she neared the two men.

There was a simple "hey" in response and it came from Rick's end. As Addison noticed, Daryl only nodded at her, or made whatever movements that resembled a nod.

Inwardly, Addison frowned. What was with that guy? He couldn't help himself from making sarcastic comments, but he couldn't say a simple hi back? Really? It bugged her, but she managed to silence that and focus on what she had come here for.

"So," she started, focusing mainly on Rick, but keeping the sullen redneck in her sight. "Do you think it'd be reckless if I made a small fire outside?"

Addison watched as Rick's eyebrows knitted together in a thoughtful frown.

"Why would you want to do that?" he asked dubiously. Daryl also stopped cleaning his bolts and was now paying extra attention to the brunette.

"Not to send smoke signals to anyone, I swear," she said raising both her hands in the air, in a surrender sign. "I just thought I could use the fire to heat up something. I don't know about you, but cold dinner sounds slightly less appealing that hot dinner."

At the sound of those words, Rick and Daryl exchanged a glance. In all honesty, dinner sounded appealing enough, whether it was cold or hot.

"Ya have food?"

Addison's eyes darted to the quiet and frowny figure of Daryl._ Oh, now he talks,_ she thought to herself but wisely kept it as it was: only a thought.

"Yeah," she said simply. Then, on a second thought, she corrected herself. "Well, we have something left. It's not too much but I think it's enough... So?"

Once again, Rick found himself pondering every single one of Addison's words. It bugged him how she appeared out of nowhere and was suddenly helping them with everything without asking anything in return... That all sounded too much, too good for his liking, but, once again, Rick found himself agreeing with her.

"I don't think that'll be too reckless. We still have some light..."

A small smile played with the corner of Addison's mouth.

"Thanks," she said satisfied.

Addison was about to turn her back to Rick and Daryl when she heard Rick's grave voice once again. "What do you mean it's enough?"

But, instead of giving him a straight answer, she just cracked a small smile, turned on her heels and walked back to where she had come from.

.

As she headed back to the jail cell where Analeigh was waiting for her, she walked past a woman that, according to what she had learned during the past few minutes she spend with Carol after they returned, was named Lori.

To say that the two of them had a rough start was just stating the obvious, especially since rough start could describe the first contact Addison had with pretty much everyone... but unlike the rest of the people —perhaps excluding Daryl—, Lori seemed to have this permanent frown plastered on her face. It was crystal clear that she disliked her presence there — not that Addison minded, though, because at this point, she couldn't care less.

"Dee-dee..."

As soon as she walked into the small room, Analeigh's soft voice made her stop thinking about Lori and whatever issues the other woman had; Analeigh was her number one priority.

"Just a little longer, sweetie," Addison said, offering the kid a warm smile. "Just a little bit longer, okay?"

Annie shook her head in agreement, leaving Addison to search for something inside bag she'd taken with her from the truck.

.

Lori strolled with small steps to where Rick and Daryl were. She didn't really mean to head there in the first place, she had plans of going straight back to her own cell on the second floor, but that was before she saw the new girl, Addison, talking to the two of them.

"So... how's it gonna be?"

Rick had been peacefully cleaning his weapon before hearing that so familiar voice. He let out a tired sigh and turned around so he was facing Lori. He would recognize that tone anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances. For some reason, Lori was pissed.

"How's what gonna be?" he retorted, slightly annoyed. Lori's attitude was really something that Rick was not looking forward to deal with. He had enough to stress over already...

"That girl. You brought her back here—"

"Addison," Rick said, interrupting the fit that Lori was about to throw. "That girl's name is Addison, and where the hell have you been? I didn't _bring her back here_, she—"

"She helped us. She helped us all back there, I get that," Lori snapped. "What I meant is... how's it gonna be now? Our safety? Our people?"

"Our people are just fine."

Lori arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms across her chest. Rick's affirmative had sounded very assertive.

"Yeah? How do you know? How do you know she's not with Randall's group?"

Rick sighed. He knew it was coming; he had been expecting to hear that question ever for quite a while, but he just wished it had came later... or at least that it wasn't Lori and her full-tilt diva attitude to bring that up.

"She's not... She's alone."

Lori's lips pressed into a thin hard line as she kept staring at Rick. "So you believe her."

Rick pinched the bridge of his nose. Lori hadn't asked him anything; she just let those words float in the air like a statement of some sort. But did he believe her? Did Rick believe Addison wasn't with Randall's group? He didn't know. All he knew was that he couldn't deal with Lori right now.

"I don't think she's lying," he said, raising his head. Lori just looked at him blankly.

"Is that it?" he asked, his voice sounding void of emotions. "If so, excuse me but I have some other things to do," he said as he turned his back to her and resumed his previous work of cleaning his guns.

"Sure, you do," Lori retorted bitterly, shifting her weight and staring at Rick's back.

Rick was willing to just let their potential argument just go, not make a huge deal out of it until he heard Lori's words. Slowly, he turned back around so he was facing her again. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at his wife.

"What do you want, Lori?" he fired the question at her. "Huh? What do you want from me? You've been acting like I'm the greatest bastard walking on Earth right now and for what? Because I killed Shane? He tried to kill me! He pointed his gun to me even when I dropped mine! Or... or is it because I told you that Carl put him down? You don't really expect him to go through all this shit unchanged, do you? Look around you... Lori. Everything changed. Everything! Moral standards aren't the same anymore... Look at you, go through everything you've done until now before you start throwing rocks at me for what I did."

Rick waited to see if she'd say anything to him, but she didn't. He hadn't yelled at her, or raised one tone as he spoke for that matter. He managed to keep his voice low and steady, but he couldn't keep the anger and frustration at bay. God, it was so easy for everyone to judge him... He was tired of that crap. Exhausted to be honest.

Lori just stayed there, rooted to the spot, staring at the man in front of her. Rick had never talked to her like that. Not even when he had every reason to do so, he didn't talk like that to her. She was shocked. She remembered the night at the woods when he sort of exploded in front of everyone, but, truth be told, she didn't expect him to react like that. Lori didn't expect him to say such harsh words. She went speechless.

When Rick noticed she wasn't going to say anything, he just turned around, shook his head and, muttering something along the lines of "for Christ's sake", he focused solely on the dismantled gun he had left on the table. He didn't even hear when Lori walked away.

.

Since he was there in the first place, Daryl watched the whole thing, and the hunter couldn't help but thing there were very few occasions in which he felt that much uncomfortable...

It was really none of his business whatever was going on in the Grimes's life so he did his best to tune that conversation off and just focus on what he was doing... but it was easier said than done. Even though he didn't mean to eavesdrop, it was really inevitable since the two of them were right beside him and, well, talking about something that, indirectly, mattered to him.

When Rick sat on the bench right across from him, Daryl cast a glance at him. Truthfully, the hunter believed he hadn't seen Rick that worn out in a damn long while — in fact, he didn't remember ever seeing the former Deputy Sheriff like that. Head hanging low, as if he'd been carrying the weight of the world upon his shoulders.

Well, in some ways, he kind of was. Daryl had no clue how many people had survived whatever shit that was, but being held responsible for the safety of others in a world like that shouldn't be easy...

"What you think?"

Daryl had resumed his work of putting his gun back together when Rick asked that question.

The hunter knew what the other man was talking about. He was referring to what had just happened, between him and Lori... Addison, whether she was with Randall's group or not. That much he knew, now, as to what he thought of that...

Daryl chewed on his lower lip as he considered what words to say. He ended up deciding to go with the truth. "Don't know, man..."

"Say she was with them... why would her give us weapons, bullets, gas?"

That was the part that no one truly understands. Not Rick, not Daryl and the two of them were willing to bet that no one else had the slightest idea either.

Daryl found Rick's eyes fixed on him, waiting for something, anything. He still didn't know and, honestly, he was still getting used to have his opinion valued. No one ever came to Daryl for advice, not ever so that was uncharted territory for him yet. Looking back at Rick, he just shook his head.

In front of him, Rick just nodded. He had no clue what was going on either. He was in the dark and he didn't like that one bit.

For a handful of seconds, Rick struggled with his thoughts, doubts, and all kinds of things that were slowly driving him insane until something made him put a stop to those wild thoughts: he saw Addison.

The young brunette was now wearing a black trench coat over her tank top as she headed to one of the other cells. Rick watched when she knocked on the heavy doors announcing her presence there, so it should be someone else's "room".

As she walked into it, vanishing from his sight, Rick's thoughts began to wander again. He knew he was probably just causing more harm than any good since any answers or explanations would magically appear before his eyes as he studied the young woman from a distance but it was something that Rick didn't seem to have much control over at the moment.

He rubbed his eyes with his hands and thought to himself how he really could use a break. Just a small break from this madness so he could have some decent rest or just figure some things out, clear his mind, get back to his best because he felt as if he was miles away from all of that and he just couldn't afford such thing.

He was still trying to muster some energy to do whatever he had to do next when he heard some movements near him. This time, it was just Daryl.

"I'll keep an eye on her."

Daryl's words made Rick look back to where he'd last seen Addison then back to the man in front of him. He had stood from his seat, tucked his weapon on his waistband and was already gathering his bolts.

Since he didn't provide any help with whatever struggle that it was visible Rick was going through, Daryl decided it was fair enough if he did that one thing. As he said once, there's no need for Rick to do all the heavy lifting, and lately, things seemed to be pretty damn heavy.

Even though it didn't sound strange, Rick couldn't help but feel slightly surprised with Daryl's offer. He hadn't even thought of asking him to do that, in fact, Rick was just thinking that he'd better work fast on his guns so he could head outside and try to figure out the new girl when Daryl spoke up.

"Anythin' happens," said the hunter as he slid the strap of his crossbow over his shoulder. "I'll call ya."

Rick gave them a thankful nod and watched as Daryl quickly headed towards the door, following Addison and her little kid, who had wandered towards that very same direction.

#

"If you're trying to be subtle," Addison said as she strolled towards her truck. "I have to say, you're doing a lousy job at it."

Looking over her shoulder, she saw him a few meters behind her. As always, Daryl was holding tightly onto the strap of his crossbow and kept his eyes focused on her back.

Ever since she left Carol's "room", she could feel him watching over her every movement... Now, Addison didn't like that; she could understand why he was doing that, but she just didn't enjoy that one bit.

"Wasn't tryin' to be subtle," he replied as he stood only a couple of steps behind her.

"Of course not," Addison muttered between teeth as she unlocked the truck and opened the back door so she was looking right at the bags Glenn had piled up.

Then, she opened the driver's door and ushered Analeigh inside. "Got get your things, sweetheart."

With a quick nod, Analeigh crawled further into the truck and began to search for her blanket that she had tossed on the ground before running off towards what she thought to be her "mommy".

"Well, let's see where it is," Addison whispered to herself as she started checking the bags. There were three of them and they all looked just the same so she needed to have a look so she would find what she'd been looking for.

As she roamed through her bags, Addison could feel Daryl's eyes still glued on her back.

"So, since you're here," she whispered as she pulled two bottles of water from a bag, an old newspaper and a lighter. "How about you start being useful?"

Daryl barely had the chance to say anything when she pushed the water and the newspaper towards him. Reacting automatically, he wrapped his free arm around it.

"Hey!"

"That's way better," she said, giving him a sarcastic half smile.

"The hell ya think I am?" Daryl half said, half grunted as he followed her towards the back of the vehicle. "Your lapdog or some shit? Cuz I ain't..."

But Addison didn't seem to hear him, or if she did, she just thoroughly ignored his words. It wasn't willingly, though, because she would pick a conversation of whatever sorts it would be with that guy over what was happening right now.

Getting the gas and the guns was easy; she just had to open the bed, quickly reach out for those things and that was it. Fuel and weapons were strategically placed for easy access. As for everything else...

_Don't over think, Addison. Do not over think..._

She kept telling herself those words as she pushed the guns away and created some space so she could reach the bags that were farther into the space.

Biting on her lower lip, Addison sat on the small space she'd opened and reached for handle of a black leather messenger bag. But, when she pulled closer, Addison realized she'd picked the wrong bag. Instead, she grabbed one of Nick's luggages.

_Damn it._

Even though she instantly pushed it back and grabbed the one bag she'd been aiming for, it was inevitable. All of a sudden, her mind was invaded with memories that she'd been trying so hard to keep at bay.

Suddenly, the air became so thick and her eyes started to sting and it was hard to breath.

_Why the fuck didn't I just threw it all away? Why am I keeping all this stuff? Why am I doing this? __Oh, right... Survival._

It was all about survival now... Even though many people hadn't really survived. Even though the world was now pretty much doomed. Even though—

"Dee-dee?"

The angelical voice and the soft touch of the girl's hand on Addison's leg almost made her jump out of her skin. She hadn't noticed, but while she sat there, battling with her demons, Analeigh had left the truck with her blanket and pillow and had been trying to get her attention for a while now. When nothing helped, she just reached out to give the woman's leg a soft squeeze.

"Yeah," she said quickly. The memories that had been haunting her just now were suddenly gone, faded from her mind as she was pulled back to reality.

Addison could see the worry written all over Analeigh's face, but what surprised her the most was the look in Daryl's face — it looked like concern or something like that.

"Are you okay?" Analeigh asked softly; her tiny little fingers never leaving Addison's covered leg.

"Yeah, baby. I'm okay." It was a damn lie, but Addison didn't have the energy to go through any explanations at the moment. She quickly slid the handle of the bag onto her shoulder and jumped out of the bed of the truck. "Now, let's get something to eat, shall we?"

Analeigh didn't seem convinced, but maybe the hunger was bigger than everything else because the toddler nodded and held Addison's hand. But, walking right behind the two girls, Daryl didn't forget what he had just witnessed.

He had no idea what had happened there and he still had his reservations about Addison, but the look in her face when she saw the luggage... the hurt and the suffering she seemed to be drowning into until that kid managed to get her attention... that gave Daryl a lot to think of.


	11. Respect doesn't have to be shiny

As always, I'd like to thank each and everyone who's still following this story. It makes me super happy that you all can spare a few moments of your life to read this piece of work. I'm flattered. Thank you a lot. And special thanks to the lovely people who takes some extra moments to review! I very much appreciate you all for sharing your thoughts with me. Thank you. So much.

So. Here's a new chapter and, I must admit, I had quite the hard time writing it for a few reasons... but I got it done and, while things didn't happen exactly as I had originally planned, I think this works fine. But I'd like to hear what you think. Please?

Also, this chapter doesn't follow the current season's time frame. I honestly have no idea how long they've been living in this apocalyptic world, so bear in mind that I'm working with what **I think** would be the time elapsed since everything started. Also, unlike the TV show, I'm not ignoring the "winter"... this fic starts right after the Season 2 Finale (Sorry "Tell me you're still you" but Lori's baby is far from appearing here... might take a while until I get there).

Hope you enjoy.

* * *

**XI.** _Respect doesn't have to be shiny_

It was 7:48 p.m. in Addison's wrist watch when dinner was ready to be served, although that was one way of describing a few cans of Campbell soup put together and heated up, a pack of toasts and orange juice made out of a pack of powdered drink...

Addison watched as the people gathered around the small fire ate and chatted. For the first time in a very long while, the young brunette felt something different than the oppressive death threat constantly hanging above her head like a dark cloud. Well, it was still there, lurking in the shadows like those deceased walking bodies, but right now, there was something else. Something more... hopeful she'd dare to label as.

There was some light chatting and, every now and then, Addison would have a glimpse of a smile, but, surprisingly enough, such change didn't affect her; in fact, she was still fighting the grim feeling that took over her mind and soul a while back.

"Thank you."

Blinking a couple of times, Addison turned her attention to the woman sitting beside her. A pair of blue eyes was focused on her; there was so much kindness and gentleness in those clear blue orbs that, for a split second, Addison wondered if the inferno she'd been living for these past months were just something in her mind...

How exactly Carol still had that kind of feelings inside her when Addison herself was constantly in the verge of losing her shit was beyond her understanding.

"What for?" she asked curiously.

"You didn't have to do this," Carol said softly, referring to the food.

Addison mustered the energy to offer the woman a genuine smile; it was a small smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"Honestly, I had to," she admitted to the kind woman. Addison brushed a strand of her dark hair behind her ear and, as she did so, her eyes landed on the small bowl she had in her hands... even though she hadn't had anything in quite a long while, Addison didn't feel hungry and her portion of soup was practically untouched.

Raising her eyes to meet Carol's once again, she continued, "I didn't think it'd be fair if I just kept it all for myself and Annie, so..."

"But not many people would want to share their food, these days more than ever."

Addison's small smile grew a little bigger. "Thanks but... you're giving me way too much credit," she replied, fixing her eyes on the macaroni in her soup. Taking compliments was something that Addison always struggled with. "I just did what I assumed to be the right thing. Nothing more and nothing less."

"And what you did was great," Carol insisted. "This is the best thing we had in a couple of days... actually, the first meal we've had in a couple of days but it's the best nonetheless, so... Thank you."

Once again, Addison was caught by those gentle blue eyes; she didn't know what to say anymore. She and Analeigh had gone through some tough times and they always found themselves having to ration the food until they could find more but Addison managed to make sure Analeigh wouldn't go through a long period of time without eating, even if that meant no food for herself.

It wasn't easy. In fact, it was pretty hard and Addison knew it. She knew how something as simple and basic as food could make a huge difference. It was harder to push up, to keep fighting when you're just running on hopes and dreams. She knew and, right there, sitting in front of that small fire, Addison's respect for those people increased drastically.

"Well then, you're welcome," she said wholeheartedly.

For the first time in what seemed to be an eternity, Addison found herself smiling. Genuinely smiling. She couldn't even remember when was the last time she didn't have to fake a smile... Probably it was before this whole apocalypse thing started; way before that. Probably it was when she was still just a naive teenager.

Addison chewed on her lip and blinked back the tears that she knew were coming. They always did when she thought about that... It's been almost a decade but it still hurt.

Inhaling deeply, Addison handed the plastic bowl she'd been holding for the last five minutes or so to Carol. "Here," she said in a whisper.

Carol's eyes shifted between Addison and her food that she was handing over.

"No, thank you. I'm fine."

Addison shook her head and kept her arm stretched out. "Please. Take it."

"You haven't even touched it," Carol pointed out. Addison noticed her tone was one of a soft reprimand; she sounded oh so motherly.

"I'm not hungry," she replied with a shake of her head. It was true. She wasn't hungry anymore.

Addison didn't back down, not even when the older woman openly glared at her for what she was doing. In all honesty, Addison knew she was being an idiot; she probably should just suck it up, stop being such a baby and just eat that damn thing already... but she knew she wouldn't hold it inside. She was too wound up.

"Fine," Carol said after a few seconds and reached to grab the bowl.

Addison smiled at her and watched as the woman split the little bit of soup there was with Carl and Lori.

Carol had a big heart; the young woman couldn't help but notice. Her only wish was to know how she managed to keep that unchanged...

She was sitting there, watching that group of survivors and how they got along with each other when she noticed something. While that seemed to be a solid and functional group of people, there was also this barrier of some sort that set some sort of division... Now Addison didn't know if she was imagining things or what was that, but at that moment, she felt as if there was this wall dividing the group, an abyss between some individuals; because, all the time she sat there, she didn't see Rick sit with the group for one moment. He stayed there and even ate when it was all done, but he didn't hang with the rest of the people... And, even though he and Daryl were walking the length of the patio, checking the fences and the gates that there were, there was this awkward and veiled tension, hanging upon them all. Not to mention she observed how Lori and Rick were hardly ever together, unlike the other couple.

Addison looked around and found Rick and Daryl standing a few meters away. Even at distance, she could tell their wariness still hasn't faded.

.

At distance, Daryl watched when Carol engaged into what seemed to be a small talk with the new girl. He had been watching the surroundings and checking the fences for possible breaches but every now and then, his eyes would dart to the camp-fire and the small group gathered around it.

Even though she was quite literally surrounded by people, Daryl still checked on Addison and what she was doing every now and then.

She hadn't given out much, though. He did as he had told Rick and kept both eyes on the new girl and her kid while she was fixing dinner, but nothing happened. Except for when she exchanged two words with Carol, who showed up to offer some help, and when she whispered something to the little kid that was sitting by her side, all wrapped up in a ivory wool blanket, he barely even heard the woman's voice, or seen her face for that matter.

Not that Daryl had been expecting Addison to keep following him with her piercing and challenging dark eyes all the time, but not even when he approached her to get his food did she addressed him one brief look. She just kept her head tilted down, her eyes fixed on nothing in particular. Now, Daryl didn't know that girl all that much to start making assumptions and whatnot — hell, he didn't know her at all —, but he had seen enough to believe that she was carrying one hell of a burden, and all alone.

He shifted in his place when he saw Addison handing her bowl of soup over to Carol. There was something in the way she fixed her eyes and stared into the flames of the camp-fire that made Daryl slightly uncomfortable. For it was something that felt was quite familiar to the hunter...

_Fucking shit._

Daryl was just trying to think of something else, keep his mind busy with whatever things that would push back all his unwanted emotions that were threatening to show up when he noticed Rick approaching him.

He straightened up and walked a few steps to meet the other man. "Found anything?"

"No," Rick said, shaking his head negatively. "The fences are secure... You?"

"Same," Daryl replied simply.

Truth was, they have been checking the surrounding fences for reasons that went beyond making sure the place was safe, because they had checked it before, when they returned with the vehicles. But Rick was seeking for some alone time, to organize his thoughts and figure something out, and Daryl... well, Daryl was just being Daryl, keeping some distance for he just felt more at ease that way.

A couple of seconds went by and the two men just stood there, in silence. That is until Rick turned his head to face the rest of the people.

His eyes traveled through the faces that had now become the closest thing to family he knew and he couldn't help but think how foreign the word "family" was right now. There they were, a dozen of people who had too little yet too much in common. People who were fighting for their lives, for a second, third or fourth chance — it was hard to keep track of such thing when someone or something tried to off them every damn second.

After a moment, Daryl noticed Rick's thoughtful expression; it didn't take him much longer to understand what was going on in his mind.

"What're ya gonna do 'bout her?"

Daryl's question made Rick look away from Addison. Unlike Lori and everyone who asked him that very same thing, Daryl didn't try to conceal whatever feelings or emotions he could possibly have on that matter. In fact, Daryl's question was just a plain, simple question. It didn't bear any veiled anger or any hints that he was about to start an argument over that. It was almost as if Daryl was asking that only to help Rick sort out his thoughts on the new girl.

"For now, nothing," Rick admitted after some thinking. "We're in a far bigger number and, so far, she didn't give any signs of being harmful..."

Daryl squinted as he searched for the object of their conversation once again. Addison was now looking at them and their eyes met; it was just a couple of seconds, but enough to cause the hunter to shift in his place once more. There was something about Addison that made Daryl impatient and he just didn't like to feel that way.

His first instinct would always tell him there was something wrong and, considering the way he grew up, he would always tended to believe that... But now there was another voice talking and it was almost just as loud. Daryl didn't know what that was, but it was telling him there could be nothing wrong — well, at least nothing more wrong than dead people walking around. And a woman with a kid couldn't be that threatening... Could it?

Almost as if in cue with his thoughts, Daryl watched as Addison's attention was redirected when the little blonde kid came up to her and said whatever thing and, seconds later, Addison stood from her place, and so did Carol.

"She'll stay the night then," Daryl said; his eyes still following the two women and the kid that, apparently, were heading back inside.

"She did help with the walkers," Rick said simply.

Daryl nodded. That much was undeniable; Addison did help quite a bit with the walkers and the prison... "Sounds 'bout right," he admitted.

He trusted Rick's judgment that much, but as much as he trusted Rick, Addison was a whole different story... Daryl started his way towards the prison, where the new girl had went to, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him on his tracks.

"I got this," Rick told the hunter. "I wanna talk to her..."

#

Carol walked back into the cell block with a tired looking Addison and a sleepy Analeigh attached to the woman's right hand; the little girl was dragging her feet through the floor and she literally crawled her way into the bunk bed that she had claimed to herself.

"Dee... dee..."

A small smile played with the corner of Addison's lips when Analeigh couldn't hold back a yawn.

"Dee-dee's right here," she said gently as she pulled a small bottle of water and a plain white handkerchief with a fancy "BF" beautifully embroidered on one end from a handbag she had placed near the bed..

Standing by the door, Carol watched as Addison wetted the piece of cloth and ever so softly, brushed the wet tissue over the girl's face and down her neck. The gentleness in that simple act made Carol's heart clench and she wrapped her arms around her body. She missed Sophia so much...

"You have a great way with children," Carol spoke softly. Her voice was just a whisper.

Addison looked up and met Carol's eyes. The sadness that those blue orbs were boring was heart breaking.

"Me? Oh, no," she whispered back. "I'm far from great. I am way out of my league here..."

"But Annie feels safe with you."

Addison cast a glance at the young kid that was already sleeping, clinging onto her hand as she thought about what Carol had just said.

"Safety is a rare concept nowadays," she spoke, though her voice was low, almost as if she was thinking out loud.

Carol took a step into the cell and gingerly sat on the end of the bed, facing Addison, who was now sitting with her back to the wall behind the bed. The young woman had this concentrated look, as if she was lost in thought; Carol felt the need to reach out for the brunette's hand, but didn't.

"I don't know about feeling safe, but I suppose we just stayed together long enough to feel less scared in each other's company," Addison added after a few seconds, raising her eyes to look at Carol. "Perhaps stronger with each other... I know Annie is just a child and her means of defense go as far as her tears and innocence can move someone, but she's one of the main things that push me to keep going. It's a ruthless world, this one we're stuck for the moment and as much as it pains me to say it out loud, safety is not but an illusion... Every day out there is just more of the same: battle after battle, each new one being tougher, harder than the last one. Either against walkers, or whatever other demons that would come after us... But we couldn't stop. We couldn't just give up. So, I think we just end up finding shelter where we can, where it's offered us..."

For a few seconds, Carol didn't say a word. She didn't even know if there was anything to be said in the first place - Addison had pretty much said everything.

It was a ruthless world, indeed. And, right there, Carol didn't think Addison was dangerous at all... Unlike most people, she didn't see threat when she looked at her. She could only see a young woman, struggling through this strange, wild world and trying to make the best for the little girl she had.

"You girls are strong," Carol told Addison as her eyes drifted to the little girl; she was the image of peace and, for a moment, Carol believed that there was still some hope in the middle of that chaos. If such angelical piece of innocence managed to resist and not succumb to this hell, then maybe things weren't completely lost. It was hoping against all hope, Carol knew it, but as ephemeral as it was, she was going to hold onto that for as long as she could.

"So are you."

Addison's words caught Carol's attention. She sounded so sure of what she was saying, so genuine and sincere it was moving. Especially because barely even knew each other.

Carol had opened her mouth to say something when footsteps near the door made her forget about that. Both women turned around and found Rick standing there.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting something," he said apologetically as he looked at the three women.

Analeigh stirred in bed and Carol's eyes shot right back to the little girl.

"It's okay," Addison replied softly. She was talking to pretty much everyone in the small space.

Rick nodded. "When you have a moment, I'd like to speak with you."

He was just about to turn around and leave the women alone, but Addison's voice made him stop.

"Hold on," she called out. "I have a moment now."

Analeigh let out a soft cry when Addison tried to free her hand from the kid's grip — she had a lot of strength for such tiny human...

Analeigh's features twisted in a scared manner and, for a second, it looked as if she was going to cry. "Dee-dee..."

"Shhh, it's all good, baby," she tried to soothe the little girl.

"Don't leave me..."

Addison kneeled next to the bed and ran her fingers through Analeigh's blonde locks. "But I won't leave you. I'll just be right there, okay?"

"No," Analeigh whined.

Addison bit on her lower lip. She then searched for Carol, a silent question plastered all over her face. A small smile played with her lips as the other woman nodded in agreement.

"Listen to me, sweetie... I'll be right out, and Carol will watch you so that nothing happens to you. I'll be back before you notice."

"But Dee-dee..."

Addison placed a soft kiss on the girl's forehead and stood up. "Goodnight, baby girl."

On her way out, Addison muttered a thank you to Carol. She had been expecting that conversation ever since she returned to the prison site with Rick, Daryl and Glenn and, despite her being tired, she'd rather have everything sorted out sooner rather than later.

Addison met Rick by the door and, before following the man, she spared a last glance to the cell she had just left and found Analeigh reaching out to Carol.

#

Rick walked with slow steps towards the farthest corner of the open space, heading to the table that sat there. He could tell Addison was following, just a step behind him, but he didn't say a word; nor did Addison for that matter. They walked in silence, and the very same silence stretched out a little as they reached the round table.

Addison didn't wait for any word from Rick and just took a seat. She had lost track of how many hours she had been awake and, by now, her body was already sending warnings signs that, if she continued to push herself, it wouldn't be able to carry on much further. She held back a yawn and followed Rick with her eyes as he walked around the table so he was standing right across from her. In all honesty, Addison thought the man didn't look much better than her.

Rick stood on the other side of the desk and, for a few brief seconds, he felt as if he had gone back in time and he was yet again the Deputy Sheriff of King County. His hands were resting on his hips as his eyes studied the young person in front of him: Addison looked rather expectantly, although he could have such thing mistaken by at least a dozen of definitions within the whole spectrum of emotions. Things were a lot different these days...

Her tired eyes were focused on him, waiting for whatever it was that he needed to say or wanted to ask, but at this point, Rick had no idea what was it that he wanted to say and ask. He didn't have any intentions to overhear whatever conversations Carol and Addison were having, but he ended up catching part of it — the part in which the younger woman talked about safety.

Then, much to Rick's surprise, Addison spoke up. "Go ahead," she told him; her tone was not demanding or shaky. It was pretty even, soft, encouraging even.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Rick let out a tired sigh and occupied a seat right across from her. "Who are you, really?" he asked, looking straight into her dark eyes.

That young lady in front of him was hard to read. The whole time since she showed up outside those fences, Rick spent trying to figure her out, but he couldn't, and it was an unsettling feeling which he did not enjoy.

"Excuse me?" Addison furrowed her eyebrows. That question got her confused. "I don't think I'm following..."

"I'm a cop," Rick said in a whisper; his hands twitched lightly. "Or I used to be... But the thing is, being a cop, I learned pretty well how to read people. At times, I could look at them and I'd know what they were up to, even if they insisted in saying otherwise, I knew." His eyes were fixed on Addison's and he waited for something, anything to happen, but she just kept looking at him. "But you... who are you? What are you up to?"

Now it made sense; not just Rick's question but a few other things as well, such as why he seemed to have this leader type of thing going on... Addison straightened up and inhaled deeply.

"I'm a survivor. Just like you, just like the rest of your people... I'm just someone who managed to get through whatever it is that is going on and, except for the fact that I plan on keep living and breathing, believe me or not, I am up to nothing."

"Where did you come from?" Rick's question came out as soon as Addison finished her answer.

"Last place I've been was the CDC in Druid Hills," she replied. "Before that, a few cities to the south of Georgia, can't name them all without a map. Before that, crossed the state of Florida, and be—"

"Wait," Rick raised his left hand and interrupted her, mid-sentence. "You did all that by yourself?"

This time, Addison didn't answer right away. For the first time, she hesitated, and it didn't go unnoticed. Rick squinted lightly as he kept his eyes on the raven haired woman; her head dropped a little and the same emptiness he'd seen when they were killing walkers side by side, suddenly took over her again.

Before Addison said anything, Rick knew.

"No," she finally answered. Though her voice was just a whisper and, while he had heard it, Rick leaned over a little for that was something he most definitely wanted to hear.

Addison coached herself to keep breathing as she tried really hard to barrel the emotions that were threatening to wash over her.

"We found a group when we were in Florida," she said, but her voice had lost its strength and was now rather shaky, and her eyes were now clouded, Rick noticed as she raised her head once again. "They were around twenty when we got to them and as the time passed by and as we kept on going, the numbers didn't raise; instead, it just dropped with time..."

Rick shifted in his seat. He waited to see if Addison was going to add anything, but she didn't, so he asked, "they all died?"

"I have no idea," she admitted. "After we got to Atlanta, we went our separate ways."

"Why?"

"We didn't agree with the majority's idea of where to go next, so we just parted ways."

"And where did the rest of the group wanted to go?" Rick asked with growing interest. The idea of another group of people around was unsettling. He was still not over the not-so-friendly encounter with the men he, Glenn and Hershel crossed paths with a while back.

"Up North," Addison replied calmly. "Some of them wanted to go to D.C., perhaps with hopes they knew something over there, but almost everyone wanted Canada. They had hopes that the disease hadn't crossed the border..."

Rick remembered when Jenner mentioned that the French were also doing researches, so the idea of crossing borders didn't really cross his mind. "But you didn't."

Even though it wasn't a question, Addison shook her head in refutation. "About five months ago, when this whole thing first started, I was in England. I was an ocean away from here and I saw cases of people getting sick, of what they assumed to be some new kind of influenza virus. And then passing away. And then coming back to life, spreading complete and utter chaos faster than anything I've ever seen. A freakin' ocean stands between the United States of America and the Great Britain and yet, it meant nothing... so, no. I don't think whatever political borders would keep this away."

To say that Addison's words surprised Rick was the understatement of the century. He didn't really know what he expected from her but it was nothing like that, for sure. "You were in Europe when this all started?"

Addison just nodded in agreement. "Got stuck there for about a month until we found a way out... and by the time we left, the place was no different than what you have here."

Not for one second Rick let his attention slide or his guard down; he was giving her the chance to explain herself, but so far, everything she had said only brought up a whole new set of questions.

"If things weren't better than here, then... how did you leave?"

"Just like I got there," Addison said simply. "Flying."

At first, Rick didn't believe her words at all. Flying? How was that possible? As far as he knew, all airports shut down, not to mention everything else... But she sounded so serene, so sure of what she was saying. It made Rick wonder, if she was going to lie, then she would have done better.

"So... you're saying you just jumped on a plane and came back home?"

Addison shifted on her place. She was so tired and every inch of her body was aching, but she was fighting to stay awake and just get it over with. "It wasn't as complicated as it sounds," she said tiredly. "By the end, there weren't many people trying to control the air traffic or anything else for that matter... Wherever you headed to, was like a ghost city. Either taken by those roaming corpses or completely empty. It was risky but I decided to go for the airport. I was pretty sure there would be airplanes since, during a moment of despair, all airports were all shut down. I think, in a moment of despair, they thought preventing people from leaving or entering the country would keep whatever it was from spreading but, even with all that security measures, less than a month after the first case, everything had gone to complete and utter hell... So, we grabbed our stuff, got on a plane and got back here."

For a moment or so, Rick remained silent. He just kept staring at the woman in front of him, trying to make some sense out of everything she'd just said. It sounded too unreal...

"Let me get this straight," Rick said straightening up. "You were in Europe when everything started."

"Yes."

"And things went down just as fast over there."

"I'm not sure how quickly things happened here, but I'd say, yes."

"Then you decided to come home so you took a plane and flew all the way back here."

"Yes and no."

Rick frowned. "No?"

"I didn't fly all the way back here..."

"Then...?"

"Nick and I did."

Hearing those words, Rick felt as if his brain had stopped working. _And now this one..._ "Who's Nick?"

But, as soon as he asked that question, Rick realized how unnecessary it was.

The look on Addison's face was unmistakable. He knew that oh too well. He'd seen it in so many people's faces; Daryl, Andrea, Carol, Patricia, Beth, Hershel...

Even though Addison let her head drop, averting her eyes from Rick, he saw it when a tear fell from her eyes and landed on the concrete table. He never heard her crying, but the small puddle of emotions spoke volumes to him.

When Addison spoke again, there was this emptiness in her words. "He was my best friend," she whispered.

Maybe they have known each other for less than twenty four hours. Maybe he still had reservations regarding Addison, but in that moment, Rick could only think how broke that young woman looked, and how her pain, her sorrow was no stranger to him, after all, he'd been through a lot from the moment he woke up in that hospital and found out his family was gone. He knew what it was to be away from those you love. To lose someone who was important...

"I'm sorry," he said after a moment.

Addison had brushed her tears away and looked up at the man in front of him. Up until now, she had felt as if she was some sort of suspect and he was the cop that was sent to interrogate her... but, right now, she didn't feel like that anymore.

He still inspired respect and had that authority thing going on, but Addison felt as if she could see the man underneath all that. And he seemed to be a good man...

Taking a deep breath, Addison nodded. She didn't trust her voice to say anything because she could feel the tears pooling in her eyes and she knew, if she tried to say anything, she wouldn't be able to hold her emotions back, so she nodded, hoping such act would tell him know how much she appreciated his words and the chance he gave her to explain what there was to be explained.

Rick got the message.

Looking deep in her eyes, he understood everything she wasn't saying and he didn't thing she had said any lies. She seemed genuine. Enough for him to give her a chance to prove him he could trust her. Because, after everything she did for them, and after hearing what she had to say, she already had his respect.


	12. Strangers in a strange land

**DISCLAIMER:** THE WALKING DEAD AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. I do not own anything but my OCs and am still working on the plot but, just so you know, I haven't read the comics so, any resemblance to the plot-line from the comics is purely coincidental.

Hey guys! I'd like to thank the amazing feedback I got this past week! I got so many notifications of people following and adding this story to their favorites, I don't even know what to say but thank you so much.

Just one thing, _"Tell me you're still you"_ I was going to respond to it privately but then decided against it because I doubt you're the only one wanting Daryl and Addison together. They will get together. I assure you all it will happen. I just feel the need to let you all know it won't happen overnight. Daryl is a complex character and has quite the troubled past, and Addison isn't exactly Miss Perfect herself so, it might take time. But I'm working on it, I promise. So much that this chapter is basically Daryl/Addison.

So, new chapter. As always, I'm not entirely pleased with it, but then again, I never am. I always think it could be better, no matter how hard I try. So, let me know what you think, please? I'd love to hear from you :) Hope you enjoy!

**Author's Note:** I just feel the need to say once again that _English is not my first language_ and this fic is Un-Beta'ed so, please, pardon me if there are way too many mistakes.

* * *

**XII.** _Strangers in a strange land_

Daryl felt his whole body shivering and he proceeded to rub his hands together as the cold wind kept blowing all around him. The nights were getting colder and colder and that was just a preview of what was to come.

Pulling his flannel shirt closer, the hunter cursed under his breath. While it wasn't cold enough to freeze him to death, the sensation was pretty damn annoying, not to mention it was distracting and he couldn't afford that; not when he was on watch.

They had found an alright place and it looked rather promising, but not for one second Rick thought of letting their defenses down, nor Daryl for that matter. So, they had set a round so that someone would keep vigil and Daryl had volunteered to go first.

Daryl didn't really know what time was it, but he knew his night was far from over. He began to walk around the very limited space that there was in that guard tower, holding tightly onto the strap of his crossbow. Everything was quiet, both outside and inside the fences. Everyone had already retreated themselves back into the cell block a while back, leaving Daryl with the task of staying up for a little longer. He didn't complain, though. He knew it was necessary and all; he just wished he either had some warmer clothes on...

Inadvertently, Daryl's thoughts wandered to that small fire that was burning just moments ago. The memory of it alone made him feel slightly better for a few seconds, until the wind blew more strongly once again.

Shaking his head from those distracting thoughts, Daryl made a mental note to tell Rick they'd have to go out, scavenge for supplies sooner rather than later. They had left the farm in a hurry and didn't have the chance to get their stuff from the house, so they didn't have much with them. He was just musing about the need of going out again when something caught his eyes.

Faster than a lightning bolt, Daryl had retrieved his crossbow from his shoulder, loaded an arrow and was aiming at the lonely creature that had ventured on the patio. For a split second, Daryl thought it was a walker that somehow, they had missed it or had found some sort of gap in a fence or gate. It was a good thing that his sight was sharp from years of hunting and he quickly recognized it as a person, not a walker. A woman. Addison.

_Stupid bitch,_ he mumbled as he unloaded his arrow and threw his crossbow over his shoulder once again.

#

Addison pulled the sides of her coat closer and wrapped her arms around her torso as she stepped outside the building... It was a cold night and the wind was merciless blowing in her face.

With small steps, she walked towards the middle of the patio and stood there.

It was late and Addison was tired, but she just couldn't sleep. She tried, but it was useless.

After she talked to Rick, Addison headed back to the improvised room where she had left Carol and Analeigh; she stopped by the door, not moving any further as her eyes took in the scene. Carol was lying next to Analeigh, both hugging each other... A small smile flourished in Addison's lips.

The two of them looked so serene, so peaceful that she didn't have the heart to bother them. So, without disturbing the duo, Addison walked away to find herself another cell.

In all honesty, the idea of sleeping in jail didn't exactly tickle her fancy, but she was too exhausted to even care so she just got into an empty cell only three doors away from where Carol and Analeigh were sleeping and let her body fall on the bunk bed.

She was so tired that her whole body ached. Shutting her eyes closed and breathing slowly, Addison felt pain in places she didn't know that existed. Everything hurt, but soon enough, the pain started to subside and she started to relax. All of a sudden, Addison had no strength to move one muscle; even her eyelids were too heavy for her to keep them open. In less than a minute, she was fast asleep...

But it didn't take long before Addison's sleep was rudely interrupted.

It felt as if she had just fell asleep when Addison sat bolt upright on the bed and struggled to catch her breath. She didn't scream or anything like that, but her heart was pounding inside her chest and she was sweating cold.

Addison rubbed her face with the palm of her hands a few time, in a vain attempt to make images of her nightmare disappear. Didn't happen. She could still see the familiar pair of green eyes staring back at her; it was all too vivid for her to forget...

Turns out it was a good thing she didn't sleep with Analeigh after all. She was barely holding her shit together; she didn't think she'd have the strength to deal with anything else. Even though she loved the little girl, Addison was hanging by a thread, especially after the conversation she had with Rick.

With a tired sigh, she fell back on the bed. It's been the first time she actually allowed herself to think about Nick, and talk about it. She knew she was acting real stupid, not to mention she was probably offending the memory of her best friend by thoroughly avoiding it, but ever since he died, Addison tried to shut whatever thoughts and memories that slightly reminded her of the Nick... Remembering was too painful.

Suddenly, the darkness of the place, the silence that was eventually cut by muffled moans that came from what she assumed to be the walkers that were still trapped inside the prison and the stillness were too much for her to handle. Those three things combined with her troubled mind were slowly driving her insane. She needed to do something, otherwise she would lose it.

As she pushed herself out of bed, a searing pain shot through her whole body as she felt all of her muscles stretching. It hurt, but Addison didn't complain. She was alive and that was the most important thing; she could deal with a bit of discomfort.

Taking with small and careful steps, Addison made her way towards the heavy doors that were half open. Not for one moment, her hand stopped touching the hunting knife she still had strapped to her leg; she may have lost her sleep, but she did not lose her carefulness. No, sir. So Addison kept a sharp eye on her surroundings and paid extra attention to whatever noises that would raise a red flag on her radar as she slowly crossed the large and empty room.

.

There were no stars in the sky, she noted. Only a bunch of strange clouds that painted the night sky with this pale shade of orange.

Addison frowned, inwardly and outwardly; she wasn't overly fond of the prospect of dealing with an atypical storm or perhaps hail... She just hoped that, whatever those clouds were bringing wouldn't fall over her head.

_Well, maybe the wind will carry those away,_ she mused quietly as she kept her eyes on the sky.

It was peaceful out there. No occasional reminders of the horrors that walked the Earth now or how little of the world she used to know had left. It was quiet. All she could hear was the wind, the sound of the leaves brushing against each other... and a male voice with one heavy Southern accent.

"The hell ya doin' out here, girl? Almost shot ya."

Her eyes soon found the light-haired man on the guard tower looking down at her. She couldn't see him given the distance, but she was willing to bet anything his blue eyes were staring at her, glaring and perhaps even judging her for being out there.

"Well, good thing you didn't," she replied through gritted teeth as she looked around. Addison didn't want to raise her voice and be held responsible for disturbing the silence. Just because she had trouble sleeping, didn't mean everyone else should have them as well...

Then, she searched for the lonely creature on the tower again but he was no longer looking back at her. Instead, she found herself looking at the vest the man seemed to wear all the time and, despite distance, darkness and anything, Addison could practically see the pair of wings embroidered on the back.

She almost smiled at the controversy; even though she had met Daryl less than twenty four hours ago, she was sure as hell that man was no angel, yet he drove around in a loud as fuck motorcycle wearing a leather jacket and his pair of wings. Wings. Once again, the nickname she had secretly given him showed up in her thoughts... Daryl Dixon was no Charlie Hunnam but, for some reason, he sort of reminded her of the outlaw motorcyclist from the TV show she used to watch.

"Oh, how I wish this was nothing but TV drama," she muttered to herself.

There was really nothing she wouldn't do right now to put an end to everything that was happening and just go back to her old life. But, since she seriously doubted things would just fix themselves over night, Addison decided she should do something useful, so she walked towards the heavy door of the guard tower.

.

Trying his best to ignore Addison's presence right in the middle of the empty patio, Daryl soon returned to his duty. He needed to keep his mind clear of whatever distractions and pay attention to the surroundings but doing so was kind of hard, especially now...

Part of Daryl had resigned to the idea of having the new girl around. After talking to Addison, Rick told him he had decided giving her a chance; Daryl didn't argue. It really wasn't up for a discussion since the former cop had already made his mind about that, but more than that, Daryl really had nothing to say. At least now anything that would be relevant to that matter anyway. So he just accepted it.

The reason why he couldn't focus was because of what he'd see in Addison while he volunteered to watch her, what made him suddenly go back in time and revive things he tried to bury for so long... It wasn't even the small arsenal that she carried in the back of her truck that kept coming back to Daryl's mind. It was something else, something she was keeping inside, something—

"Hey..."

Daryl was completely lost in thought that he didn't hear it when someone got to the guard tower. He didn't hear it when Addison got there. He almost jumped a mile high when she spoke only a few feet behind him.

"Girl, ya have a death wish or somethin'?" He hissed as he turned to face his unwanted companion; his hands holding tightly onto the crossbow's strap.

"Absolutely not," Addison replied in a rather soft manner.

She was trying really hard not to smile at the man in front of him; she had noticed that her arrival there had startled the man and, judging by his quite harsh tone of voice and how he kept holding that unusual weapon of his, she decided it was probably for the best that he didn't see how it had amused her. That and the fact that up until now, Daryl kept his eyes fixed on her like a hawk.

"Sure don't look like it," he said gruffly.

Addison held her ground when Daryl turned his back to her and resumed his walking around. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head briefly.

Daryl Dixon was definitely not her biggest fan. Even though she had noticed a change in the way that people looked at her after dinner, the man with the winged vest did not. Well, maybe he stopped staring at her like a ticking bomb about to blow up and started eyeing her like some sort of two headed dog which he was just interested in keeping some safe distance, but other than that, it was just the same. He would just completely ignore her presence, unless he really couldn't.

But Addison didn't really mind. She was never the kind of person with the most outgoing personality; it was actually quite the opposite. Despite of the fact that every single decision she had made thus far didn't exactly agreed with that, Addison had always been pretty reserved. Always. So she didn't really force any kind of interaction or tried to engage Daryl's attention with some awkward conversation. No. Although she had gone there because someone else was there, she didn't mind the silence that had settled. As a matter of fact, she enjoyed that.

As she stood there, Addison hugged herself and yet again, embraced the quietness. From up there, the world seemed so incredibly peaceful. If she focused on the horizon, focused on the trees and the sky, it was almost as if things were right again. No disease sweeping out more than half of the world population. No hiding in a prison out of all places. No being alone...

A shiver went down Addison spine as reality finally hit her hard. She'd been trying to ignore it, but that wasn't working anymore... Standing there, in the middle of the night, Addison finally admitted the one thing that she was trying so hard to avoid; she stopped fooling herself and acknowledged the simple fact that she was alone. Well, there were others, there was Analeigh, and while it was nice at some extent, deep down, she couldn't help but feel it wasn't the same. Despite the awful things they probably had in common - thanks to hell breaking loose -, they were nothing but strangers. Strangers in a strange land.

Addison's arms tightened around her mid-section as coached herself to breathe slowly in order to shut all of her thoughts. Things were pretty bad and scary as they were... she didn't need her hyper active mind to keep picking on her wounds over and over again.

.

Daryl kept his eyes glued to the woods outside and the dark imposing building as he walked through the small grid. He was about to finish one full circle when he saw her again. Addison was still there. He frowned. Why couldn't she just leave him alone? Literally.

He was just trying to figure what to say so she would leave when he caught a glimpse of her profile. She had her eyes fixed at some point ahead in the woods, but Daryl doubted she was seeing anything... Just like hours ago, the hunter felt something shifting inside him; something he wasn't overly fond of. Scratching the back of his neck, Daryl resumed his walk and approached Addison, but didn't get too close.

"Hey," he said awkwardly, standing a few feet away from her.

To say that Addison was expecting that was a great lie. She wasn't, and it became very clear to Daryl when the woman turned her face so she was staring at him; dark eyes coated with a mix of surprise and curiosity.

"Hey yourself," she whispered back; she sounded as awkward as Daryl did.

Their eyes met and, for a brief moment, it seemed that would be it. Talking wasn't exactly Daryl's strong suit; however, he was already uncomfortable enough to not really care about that. Besides, hanging out with a group for this long, accidentally caused Daryl to grow out of his old self; he still had this rough exterior and didn't exactly open up like a flower during Spring, but he was getting used to the dynamics of living in society - as messed up as it could possibly be, given the circumstances. So, taking a deep breath, he mustered the courage to say those few words that he hardly ever said out loud.

"You alright?"

Addison didn't answer immediately; she was still weighing her words and what exactly Daryl meant... Did he want to hear an honest answer or was just asking to fill the silence? With her eyes fixed on the man beside her, Addison pushed herself away from the handrail.

"Yeah," she said softly. Since she decided to go with the light version of her answer, Addison averted her eyes and took a few steps back; she knew no one would buy that lie, but she didn't really feel like opening up one more time. "As alright as one can be," she added, trying to sound more honest.

Since that wasn't entirely a lie, Addison succeeded. She even turned on her heels to face Daryl once more. The man hadn't moved an inch so there was quite the space between them.

"How about you?" She tossed back the question.

A humorless chuckle escaped Daryl's lips and it was his turn to avoid her dark eyes; all of a sudden, his shoes became so interesting...

Just like Addison, Daryl pondered on her question. Did she want him to be straight honest with her? Better yet, did Daryl want to give her an honest answer?

"Yeah," he mirrored her white lie, raising his eyes to face Addison.

Looking at each other once again, they both knew their '_yeah_'s were nothing but complete and utter bullshit, but they both choose to pretend they didn't know.

"Jus' cold," Daryl added as he tucked his hands into the front pocket of his worn out jeans as yet another breeze blew by.

Addison felt the cold wind assaulting the back of her neck and it was only then that she noticed that, aside that sleeveless vest Daryl was wearing, he seemed to have only a flannel shirt on. No wonder he was shivering...

"Hang on," she said and, without thinking too much, she walked towards the door, down the stairs and headed to her truck.

Searching her pockets for the keys, Addison opened the bed of the truck. She blindly tried to find a flashlight; in all honesty, Addison didn't want any light being shed upon the content of the truck, however, she knew it would take her twice the time to get what she was looking for and it even enhanced the possibility of her not reaching for the right luggage.

_Just suck it up, woman,_ she told herself while turning on the light.

.

Daryl watched with great curiosity the young woman disappearing beneath the silver bed cover. He furrowed his brows and, instinctively, he reached for his crossbow. He didn't intend to use it – in fact, he was hoping he didn't have to – but one couldn't be too careful these days…

So, with his crossbow in his hands and eyes fixed on the big silver truck parked near his motorcycle, Daryl waited.

_Damn girl, don't do anything stupid, _Daryl thought to himself. He had no idea what to expect but he was ready for anything.

Didn't take long and he saw Addison climbing out of the truck. Daryl lowered his weapon and watched as she locked it all once again, but his brows furrowed when she turned around and headed back to where he was. She had something in her arms, something he couldn't tell what was.

Daryl was just trying to figure what that dark thing could be when the door opened again.

Addison had just got back to the watching spot when she found herself facing the end of Daryl's crossbow yet again. She searched for his blue eyes and addressed him a blank stare.

"Seriously?" She said shifting her eyes to the weapon pointed right at her. "Is this going to be a thing now or…?"

Daryl let out an annoyed sigh and slung his crossbow over his shoulder. Then, his eyes caught a glimpse of the strange thing she had in her arms; it looked like some kind of fabric, a blanket maybe? He couldn't really tell…

Addison followed Daryl's eyes and she noticed he was intrigued with what she had in her hands. A small smile played with her lips; running her fingers through the warm fabric, she handed it to the man before her.

"Here," she told him when his eyes rose up and looked at her with curiosity. "It's just a coat," she explained while taking one step forward. "You said it yourself, it's cold."

Daryl looked dubiously at the woman and the coat she was so kindly offering. Once again, the hunter wished he could read people better, read Addison better. By now, he knew everyone from that group like he knew the woods; he knew what to expect and what not expect, but that girl… maybe it was because she was new, or maybe it was something else entirely different, the thing was: she seemed different, but at the same time, not so different.

Shaking his head, Daryl dismissed all those confusing thoughts. He wasn't making any sense anymore and he didn't want to give himself a headache because of that. Deciding to keep things simple, the hunter reached out and took the coat from Addison's hands.

Holding the garment from its shoulders, Daryl stared at it for a couple of seconds. He knew nothing about clothes or anything slightly related to the matter, but that seemed to be one damn fancy coat. It was heavy but incredibly soft to the touch, and quite thick that just by looking at it Daryl already felt a bit warmer. Then his eyes found the coat's label and, except for the word "Paris", he didn't understand jack squat, but it became clear that it was indeed something classy. Something Daryl never even dreamed of wearing.

"Go ahead," Daryl heard Addison say as she took the coat from his hands and held it out; their eyes met briefly and he noticed her subtle nod, indicating he should wear it. Feeling more than a little uncomfortable, he hunter slid the strap of the crossbow from his shoulder and reached out for the garment. "I think this is probably one size too big but I doubt that'll be a problem," she added as he put on the coat.

Daryl felt her hands in his shoulders as she straightened the fabric. He tensed a little when she fixed the collar but didn't move; he stood there like a statuesque, even his breath had become slightly shallow. It was only when he heard the faint sound of her feet moving that Daryl relaxed a bit. He looked down at himself and, although it was dark, he couldn't help but notice he had never dressed that fancy in his entire life.

"Better?" he heard Addison saying and turned to look at her again.

As soon as Daryl found her dark eyes, he felt kinda bad for aiming his weapon at her. Even though she was trying to hide it, Daryl could see hints of sadness mixed up with something much softer showing up every now and then. His right hand reached up and touched the coat around his abdomen. He didn't feel half as cold as he did moments ago.

_Neither had she seemed that affected moments ago,_ he thought to himself. The only logical explanation was that coat. It sure didn't seem feminine, so Daryl figured it had some importance for her. Maybe it belonged to someone she cared about. Almost instantly, his thoughts traveled back in time, to the talk he had with Rick as they decided who would keep watch.

When Daryl questioned Rick about Addison really being alone, the ex cop's expression dropped and he nodded, and when he noticed Daryl was expecting a little more than that, he said she had been with a group, but lately, it was just her, Analeigh and Nick.

"_And who the hell's Nick?"_ Daryl remembered asking. Right now, Rick's words were echoing pretty damn loud in his head.

"_It was her best friend."_

Daryl didn't have to imagine what she was going through. He knew. Even though Merle wasn't exactly his best buddy, he couldn't help but feel broken inside when he lost him; after all, despite everything, Merle was his brother, not to mention the only thing Daryl had left from his pre-apocalypse life.

"Yeah," he admitted, his words sounded softer than ever.

That sudden change of tone surprised Addison. The brunette took a moment to study the man before her more carefully. He was quite tall, Addison observed, and had this scruffy appearance and was rather built. His lines would never be considered soft and his overall attitude was basically strict and kind of blunt. Even his eyes had this hash thing going on... In fact, everything about Daryl seemed to be harsh. Not one moment since she laid eyes on him, she'd seen something —anything— different than that. Well, not one moment with the exception of right now. It was hard to believe she wasn't imagining all that...

"Yeah," she whispered back. She offered Daryl a kind and gentle small smile before turning her attention back to the horizon.

However small, that act left Daryl lost for a few seconds. Up until now, he'd been struggling with that woman, more precisely, her presence around him. She was a stranger and, consequentially, a liability. He first decided to keep his both eyes on her so she wouldn't screw everything up, then Rick said he was willing to give her a chance to earn her place and, while deep down he still and his reservations, he thought it'd be probably the best if he just ignored the girl and allowed her to either gain Rick's trust or screw everything up, whatever it was, it would be solely up to her. Essentially, Daryl had decided that he wanted nothing to do with Addison. But now, with each and every second he got to spend with that woman and with every little thing he accidentally learned about her, he would see his seemingly adamant settling threatening to lose its strength.

Quickly glancing at the silent woman, the hunter shook his head, mentally cursing nothing and no one in particular, before resuming his walk around the tower. Right now, all that Daryl wanted was to keep his mind busy with other things. Things that weren't as steady as shifting sands. Things he could deal with. Things he knew how to deal with…

_Things were a lot better before those two girls showed up,_ he thought to himself when she was out of his sigh once again. But whether he meant that or not, not even Daryl could say. Not anymore.

* * *

**Author's Note II:** Hey guys! So, did you like this chapter? I sure hope so. Anyways, I have a question for you all before you go... How would you feel if Lori didn't have her baby? It's just something that I recently thought about and I wanted to ask for your opinion because I thought of it and whilst I can work with baby or no baby, and still am not sure what to do. Just a random thought, though, because it's gonna take some time until I get to it. By the way, in case you didn't figure it out, the pace of this fic isn't really a fast one. I got this one review where the reader asked about it so I decided to just say the words.

Thanks everyone who's reading!


	13. State of mind

******DISCLAIMER:** THE WALKING DEAD AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. I do not own anything but my OCs and am still working on the plot but, just so you know, I haven't read the comics so, any resemblance to the plot-line from the comics is purely coincidental.

As always, I'd like to thank everyone who's still following this story. I very much appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you for sparing a few moments of your day to read this, it really means a lot to me. Thank you very much. If I could hug you all, I definitely would. And thanks a lot for the reviews. They make me super happy and are one great encouragement for me to keep writing.

New chapter and this is the longest so far so I'll shut up now and let you read. Don't forget to let me know what you think!

* * *

**XIII.** _State of mind_

At some point between two and three in the morning, Rick showed up for his watch shift. He was slightly surprised to find, not just Daryl, but also Addison up there in the guard tower; in all honesty, he didn't expect Addison of all people to be there with Daryl, but when she explained she couldn't sleep, Rick couldn't deny that it sort of made sense. The former cop had some trouble sleeping as well, so he didn't think it was unlikely that the young brunette had some demons inside, keeping her from resting.

After letting Rick know things were quiet, Daryl left to try to get some rest. Despite Rick saying she should also go try to sleep a little, Addison just shook her head and said she was fine.

"Unless you want to be left alone," she added, looking carefully at the dark haired man.

Addison wasn't stupid and she had sensed some kind of tension going on with that group... But she decided to pretend she hadn't noticed any of that; she was there for what, a few hours? They've been together for a pretty long time. They must have some history and they probably had their share of conflicts.

However, despite the veiled animosity that hang above their heads or anything, Addison's gut feeling was telling her that Rick was a decent guy, and she was following that, at least until he gave her some reason not to.

"No," she heard Rick say after a moment. "No, I don't mind the company..."

They faced each other and remained in silence for a few seconds. There was little Addison knew about Rick or anyone from that group; they all knew more about her than the other way around, but as their eyes met, the young brunette saw something different in those stern blue eyes... they had lost some of the coldness and strictness that she had noticed until now and were significantly softer.

If there was one thing that she had accepted by now was that the world as she knew was already gone. And so was humanity. As harsh as it would sound, this new world had no room for rules of etiquette, manners and things like that; long story short: it was jungle out there. And it changed people — it either changed them into one of the walking dead, or into someone they never really imagined they could possibly become. Brutal, but that's how it was...

"In fact, I appreciate it," Rick added, as a faint smile crossed his face and faded quickly.

When she looked deep in Rick's blue eyes, Addison could see the walls that he had build up to protect him from all the shit they were suddenly forced to deal with if they wanted to survive. But then, for a split second, Addison thought she was seeing things, seeing something that maybe she was hoping to see...

She didn't know exactly how, but as their eyes met, it was as if a tiny little crack opened on that protective wall Rick had within him, and as Addison looked at the man before her, the seemingly stern, protective and righteous former Deputy Sheriff that stepped up and took over the role of a leader, she believed she had a glimpse of the other Rick Grimes. The Rick Grimes she had not had the chance to meet, the one that was a father, a husband, a son... the one that wasn't touched by the horrors of this strange new world.

A shred of contained happiness almost reached the surface of Rick's blue eyes — almost. As soon as she saw it, it vanished. It was as if he was trying hard to keep that part of him and those feelings at bay... Did she think it was weird? Not at all. How could she? She had been doing just the same for a damn long time... All the past memories, they were like a very tricky trap, a double-edged sword so to speak. For at the same time they could provide that extra boost of strength to keep going, they could also drag you down... It was complicated. That's how Addison dealt with that: in essence, she didn't. And maybe she didn't know half of what they've been through or what they were facing as of right now, but right now, she knew what Rick should be feeling, so she mustered all the energy she had left and returned the smile.

The two of them stood there in silence for a couple of minutes, until Rick's words filled the quietness. "I'm really sorry about your friend."

He had said it before, but giving the circumstances and the emotions so raw, Rick didn't know whether she had heard him or not, or if he had sounded honest or not.

Addison turned her head so she was looking at him; he kept looking at the woods before them for a handful of seconds before bringing himself to look back at her.

Pressing her lips together, Addison wrapped her arms around her mid-section, not out of cold, but because she felt like things were starting to shake inside her and she didn't want to fall apart. Not again. She averted her eyes for a moment as she tried to blink away the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Thanks," she whispered hoarsely as she took a deep breath.

She didn't think she had the strength to squeeze any more words through the lump in her throat, but she needed to let that one out. It meant the world to Addison to hear those words, as simple as they were and even if they wouldn't change a thing... Because they meant she wasn't really alone anymore. She could be feeling lonely, but now at least there was someone to talk to. She had Analeigh all this time, but there are some things you don't mention to a five year old. Maybe she and Rick wouldn't talk about anything and everything, but it was something... and, at the same time it had been painful as hell to talk about Nick, it had also been a bit cathartic.

"I know how hard it can be."

Rick's voice was so low that Addison barely even heard it. Pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear, she turned to face the former cop. She noticed his hands holding onto the handrail instead of the Colt Python he carried with him wherever he'd go.

"We've lost a lot of people," he admitted, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "I've lost a close friend as well..."

Addison didn't need to witness his very evident discomfort — she could feel the weight of his words as he spoke. At that very moment, she felt an overwhelming sense of sympathy, for Rick and everyone else.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said faintly.

Rick nodded. "I think, lately more than ever, we all have our fair share of losses... Perhaps more than what would be considered fair."

_Wiser words have never been uttered,_ Addison thought to herself, though she only let out a soft "yeah", to which Rick didn't respond with words, only another nod.

Even though she had mentioned Nick to Rick, Addison wasn't exactly ready to talk about him — she only did because it was kind of inevitable — and, as silence settled one more time, she figured the same thing was happening with the man standing by her side.

Rick kept his both hands firmly attached to the cold handrail; he tried not to think about the night when everything went wrong again, but now that he had mentioned Shane, it was hard. He and Shane had been friends since they were little kids, and when the man he considered his own brother came at him trying to kill him... Rick shook his head, for that wasn't something he wanted to think about. Too soon.

"You said it all started five months ago?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

Addison glanced at Rick from the corner of her eyes. "It's an educated guess based on what I've seen while I was in England," she said softly.

Rick squinted as he searched his mind for memories. "Five months ago was what?"

"June, if I recall correctly."

"June? Are you sure?" he asked. If Rick was able to remember accurately, June was when he and Lori were having the worst phase of their wedding. _Well, that is until now,_ he thought to himself bitterly, but didn't say anything. And he didn't really remember seeing anything remotely like it.

"Well, things weren't that bad, but that's when I remember hearing about it for the first time," Addison explained. "It took a couple more weeks until they all realized they were facing something way more complicated... It was only in July that things were completely out of control over there."

"July," Rick whispered. He never really knew how long he stayed in the hospital and it was really easy to lost track of time nowadays so he figured what Addison was saying kind of made sense. "How did they manage to keep it from everyone?" he asked curiously.

"They didn't," Addison said, shifting in her place. "Well, not really... The British press commented on the subject, the DH let out press releases, they let people know about it, but they didn't say how serious it really was. It was only when the airports were completely shut down, no one being allowed in or out of the country that people started to piece everything together and they realized it wasn't just a simple matter of flu. Second week of July and we have heard of seven victims already, but it wasn't until people started to die out of the hospitals that the population realized how messed up it was. Essentially, everyone knew, but they didn't know the whole story... I doubt someone ever did."

Rick heard ever word she had to say with great and undivided attention; no one ever told him how exactly it all started and he didn't ask either. It didn't seem to matter. Then, he thought about what Jenner told him and what he had told the group just a couple of days back... He wondered if she knew.

"How much did you get to know?" Rick asked, trying to sound casual but he wasn't really sure he was succeeding. "You know, about this whole thing?"

Addison bit on her lip as she tried to recall what she did know about what was going on. "Not much," she said weakly. "I mean, I've seen enough but... I don't know what it is, if that's what you're asking..."

Rick shook his head. "I wasn't— asking that... I was just..."

The tone he was using, the way he was hesitating, all of it ignited her curiosity. "Then what?" Addison questioned. She took one tiny step to the right and leaned against the handrail so she was facing Rick's profile. "You know something... don't you?" she guessed after studying his expression.

Rick's feet fidgeted as he thought what would be the best way to break the news. When he stayed quiet for more than just a few seconds, Addison found herself calling out his name.

"Rick?"

"You said you've been to the CDC," he said and, even though it wasn't a question, Addison nodded. "We've been there too... We were there when the place fell."

It seemed like Rick had more to say so, Addison crossed her arms across her chest and waited.

"We met a man there, Doctor Edwin Jenner. He was the only one that had left. Everyone else just opted out, but he didn't. He stayed and tried to find a... cure or something..."

"But he didn't."

As he heard those words, Rick turned his head so he met Addison's dark eyes fixed on him. He couldn't help but noticed that she hadn't really asked...

"Don't get me wrong," she added shortly when his eyes landed on her. "It's just... If this Doctor Jenner had found a... cure or a way to treat this, whatever it is, I don't think the CDC would have blown up and we wouldn't have met... well, at least not here; perhaps at the CDC. Am I wrong?"

A humorless chuckle escaped his lips as he shifted his eyes to the ground. "No. No, you're not wrong..."

"Yeah... That's what I thought," she said lightly. However, that light atmosphere didn't last too long.

Rick inhaled deeply. There was really no other way to do it, no easy way. He had tried to find a better way to let people know, but he had come out empty handed so far...

"He found something," he said, and yet again, Addison's focus was entirely on him. "Jenner found something..." Rick made a small pause and searched for her dark brown eyes. There was expectancy in there; she was waiting for what was next. "We're all infected."

Rick's words reached Addison's ears and, for a handful of seconds, she didn't know what to say. She just stood there, staring at him blankly.

He shook his head and took a couple of steps away from the young woman. Her reaction wasn't the same from the others, but he figured it was just a matter of time until she soaked it all in. He was staring at the wooden area when he heard a soft voice speaking behind him.

"Well, that explains a lot..."

He stopped in his tracks and turned on his heels. "What?"

"I said I've seen enough, haven't I?" Addison looked around for a moment. "I'm not exactly thrilled to hear about it, I mean, it's pretty screwed up and all but... It makes sense. Well, kind of. I don't know..."

They didn't say anything for a while; in fact, it got real quiet afterwards, that is until Addison couldn't help anymore and she started laughing. It was just a giggle at first, but soon enough Rick joined her and she was really laughing.

That wasn't really the kind of reaction Rick had been expecting, but hell, it was way better than having people staring at him like he had done something awful... I mean, what the hell else he could have done? Sure he could have told them before, but that would just spread panic and that wasn't really the best. Things were bad enough without mass hysteria... So, when Addison spoke with soft words and when she suddenly started to laugh completely out of the blue, Rick couldn't help but indulge. It's been a while since he felt as if he wasn't messing things up, even though he was really just trying to do what was best, to help.

After a few moments, Addison straightened up. Her side was hurting and she was staring to have trouble breathing.

"Oh God," she mumbled when she was able to catch her breath and actually say anything. "I'm sorry... It's not funny."

"No, it's not," Rick replied, although he was still trying to stop laughing as well.

Addison wiped a tear away, took a deep breath and tried to control herself. "It's just," she said in between breaths. "Everything is really messed up... I mean, none of it makes any sense. Dead folks rising from the ground and chasing after the living? It's madness!"

"It is indeed," Rick said honestly. He really couldn't agree with her more.

"But... In the middle of all this shit," Addison continued. "This is probably the first thing that makes some sense. Just a little but... It's been a while since I've heard or seen anything that made just a little bit of sense."

She scanned his face and realized he wasn't as serious and stern as he'd been. Addison also noticed a difference in his overall attitude; the way he stood, it was like some of the weight he'd been carrying was gone... even if just for a moment.

As time went by, she couldn't help but feel slightly more comfortable in Rick's presence. Sure they were still being careful around each other, both walking on eggshells but, in comparison to Daryl, Rick was more approachable, perhaps more friendly as well.

They walked around the tower for a few minutes. It was quiet and, even though they had kept their eyes on the outside of the prison, Rick felt like he really needed to put some effort into keeping watch. He didn't want to be caught with his guard down again.

"How long have you been here?" he asked about half hour later or so.

"Two months," Addison replied as she pulled the sides of her coat closer to her body. "Nearly three... It's hard to know for sure."

Rick agreed with a short nod. Looking at the woods ahead of him and then at the woman standing right next to him, Rick couldn't help but think that lately, minutes felt like hours and those few months that passed ever since he woke up in that hospital felt like years...

"And where were you heading to?" He'd been meaning to ask that ever since he heard Addison saying she didn't want to head up North. "You didn't want to go to Canada, so..."

Addison inhaled deeply; her eyes scanning the area just outside the fences. "West," she said after a few seconds. "I wanted to head west."

"Why west?"

Addison locked eyes with Rick and tried not to think much about her next words for she knew how complicated it could be. "Because that is where my family is."

#

The rest of the night passed without major events.

Someone up there decided to answer Addison's prayers and the strange clouds only provided some clarity to the usual pitch black nights; no unexpected rain or hail, which was pretty damn good.

"Guys, I hate to be the one bringing this up this early, but we need to do something... and fast," Glenn said the next morning.

His eyes wandered through the group of people gathered in the middle of the patio. Not everyone was there — Carol was still inside and so were Lori, Carl, Beth, Addison and little Annie —, but the sky was bright and the sun was already shedding some light upon the world so they needed to figure out what to do next. They didn't have any supplies. "We don't even have any water," Glenn added sadly, though it was true.

Rick nodded in agreement. He and Daryl had exchanged a few words about that very same matter just moments ago, before everyone wake up and he knew it was really necessary. They were empty handed and winter was just around the corner...

"That's something Daryl and I were just talking about," Rick admitted as his eyes scanned the faces of the people around him.

The expressions in everyone's faces had significantly changed, but then again, they had a bed to rest and weren't on the run anymore, not to mention they had dinner the night before. Rick remembered that, even though he had spent quite some time with Addison while he was on watch, he never properly thanked her for what she had done.

Almost in cue with his thoughts, Rick noticed three figures walking through the open doors and into the open area: Carol, Addison and Analeigh.

He motioned to the three women to join the rest of them, and so they did, although not with some hesitation.

Not only Rick, but everyone else noticed when Addison bit on her lower lip and froze for a moment. She only resumed her walk when Carol touched her upper arm and whispered what seemed to be some encouraging words.

"All of our belongings were left behind," Rick continued with his speech as he noticed Carol, Analeigh and Addison nearing the group quietly. "All of our clothes, food, medication... We have nothing right now, what we see is what we get, and we can't carry on like this for much longer..."

He made a small pause to look around; all eyes were on him and he knew they were waiting for him to say what would be their next move. "Now, we haven't gone farther into the prison, so we still have to find the cafeteria and the infirmary... So today, we'll focus on what's most important, and that is finding the cafeteria. We'll deal with everything else afterwards. Any questions?"

There were murmurs of 'no's and half of the group just basically shook their heads negatively; that was it.

.

After a quick debate about who would go and who would stay, they ended up deciding that the same group that had secured the cell blocks. Addison even.

Every now and then, a pair of blue eyes would look away from the weapons laid on the round table and, without drawing too much attention, study the young brunette.

With her thigh holster on her right leg and the hunting knife strapped to the left, the woman seemed to be ready to follow Rick's orders, despite the dark marks under her eyes.

Daryl wondered how late she stayed up, but soon dismissed the thought; he had a lot to worry about and he sure as hell didn't need another thing in his head.

_She's a damn grown woman,_ he thought to himself. _Ain't none of my concern..._

But he also couldn't stop thinking that he was counting on her to come back alive; hell, they all were. They were about to head into the unknown and God only knows what they would find there... It could be a small group of walkers, but it could be dozens of them. They were all counting on each other. So, when Daryl heard her inhaling deeply and saw her blinking repeatedly, he frowned.

"How much sleep did ya get?" he asked rather bluntly. He had stopped checking his weapons and was openly staring at the woman who was right across from him.

Addison also stopped loading the extra detachable magazines and looked up; she noticed not only Daryl, but everyone else had their eyes on her.

"More than I've been used to," she said simply, soon returning her attention to what she was doing.

She was being completely honest with them. Last night she managed to sleep better and more than she had these past few days, but truth was: she hadn't had that much sleep. In between nightmares and her over active mind, Addison only slept for about three hours which, in theory, was three hours less that Daryl and Rick who had kept watch during the night.

But Addison's words didn't sound all that reassuring to Daryl. His frown grew bigger as he found Rick's eyes.

Rick was standing right next to Addison and he could totally understand the reason behind Daryl's question. He knew she had stayed up late. Leaning towards Addison just a little, he couldn't help but question her further. "You sure you're okay for this?"

"Yeah," she replied, addressing Rick a quick glance. As her eyes scanned his face, she could see the concern in his blue eyes, but she doubted it had little to do with her and a lot more to do with everyone else... "Yeah, I'm good," she tried to reassure him. Addison wanted to tell him not to worry, but she knew it would mean little to nothing, so she didn't.

"Ya sure?" Daryl quipped in. "Cause we don't know what's in there and havin' a sleepy chick to watch our asses ain't exactly the best..."

Addison arched an eyebrow at the man in front of her. Most of the time she happened to spend with Daryl, all she would see was his snarky and coarse side; in all honesty, she didn't mind it, at least not anymore. Sure she had known him for a very short amount of time, but she had been through enough in her life to know that, sometimes, people use sarcasm as a defense mechanism...

_And you would know all about it, wouldn't you? Oh yes. Damn right,_ she thought bitterly to herself. But Addison didn't dwell on that thought much longer. She was well aware of her issues and all, so instead of allowing herself to fall into some self-misery state of mind for all of her personality flows and whatnot, she embraced everything with a daring smile.

"Oh, don't you worry about that," she said much too softly. "I promise you I'll keep a sharp eye on your ass in there." A smug smirk playing with the corner of her lips as she said those words.

Sure Addison knew Daryl's concern was valid and, if it was the other way around, she wouldn't want some yawning person to cover for her, but she couldn't help herself... Besides, Daryl had made it too easy for her to just let it slide.

She didn't know what to expect from what had just happened... Some glares were almost certain, maybe even some reprimand words from Rick, but chuckles? That was unexpected.

Quickly glancing around, Addison noticed Glenn and Maggie biting on their lips and trying to hold back a smile, but T-Dog hadn't put up that much effort... He was the one that made Addison frown inwardly with his surprising reaction, until she noticed Rick's amused expression. No one was sternly glaring at her... Well, no one except Daryl.

_Oh boy... I'll probably regret this later,_ she thought to herself as she averted her eyes and quickly finished loading the last few cartridges into the detachable magazine, but she could feel Daryl's piercing eyes on her as she kept herself busy.

"Alright," Rick said, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "Alright, here it is. The corridors are large enough for three large men to walk side by side," he explained. "Not all blocks will look like this one. Some may be designed different, so be prepared for anything. Anything."

The five people that were standing around the table nodded in agreement.

"Also, I want all of you to stay together. No one wanders alone, no one leaves the group. The only way we do this is as a unit." Rick made another small pause and glanced at everyone. Sure they all knew it, but he didn't want to risk anything or anyone. "T and Daryl, you take the front. Maggie and Glenn will come right behind and Addison and I will take the back, got it?"

Addison caught his eyes as he glanced at her; the look in his eyes made her feel as if she was in a wedding and the priest had just gave that "if anyone has anything to say" speech and there was this pair of eyes focused on her. She just mouthed a barely audible "okay", accepting everything he had said.

"Okay then," Rick said as he placed his Colt Python in its holster and reached for one of the flashlights to check the batteries.

They were all finishing gearing up when the faint sound of footsteps approaching the group made them look away from the table. Carol and Analeigh were a few steps behind them. Addison walked around the table and met them halfway. She had noticed the significant change in both their faces when they saw all those weapons and such, especially Analeigh's.

"Did you find it?" she asked Carol, while taking off the heavy coat she was still wearing.

"Yeah," the other woman replied faintly. "I think I did..." Biting on her lower lip, Carol then reached for the travel bag she had with her and opened it, fishing for something inside. "This one?"

"This one," Addison said softly. She handed her coat to Carol and grabbed the leather jacket she was handing her.

.

When she volunteered to join the rest of the group to explore the prison, Addison decided she couldn't do it with that coat of hers. It was too impractical so she needed to ditch it; but she had learned that wearing only a tank top wasn't really wise. She could get scratched easily and that was something she did not want. So, while she grabbed more ammunition from the back of her truck, she also tried to remember where exactly she had put her leather jacket. That's when she remembered: Nick had taken it and packed with one of his when they were to leave Great Britain and that was the last time she saw it.

After handing Rick a few more boxes of ammo, Addison stared at the back of her truck. She was pondering all the pros and cons of not taking it when she felt a slim hand on her shoulder. It was Carol.

"Something wrong?" she asked; her gentle blue eyes as soft as her words.

"Just looking for a jacket," Addison replied weakly.

"You're really just looking, eh." Carol had this small amusing smile on and Addison couldn't help but smile back.

"Yeah," she admitted sadly.

There was no hiding from Carol. Addison both couldn't and didn't want to lie to her. Carol was good; she was caring, gentle, kindhearted, motherly-like... She was too nice to be shut off.

Standing beside the young woman, Carol had noticed the way Addison was looking at the luggage... She also noticed there were at least two different sets: one was black with some silver details and the other one had two different shades of brown and golden. There were quite a few bags so maybe they belonged to different people; maybe she was having a hard time going through it for it may have belonged to someone she had lost. If that was the case, then Carol could sure understand, after all, she went through one hell of a tough time going through Sophia's belongings after she died...

"Would you like some help?" Carol offered.

Addison turned to face the sympathetic woman. "Wouldn't that be too much trouble?"

"Not at all," she said reassuringly; the small smile still there.

.

"Thank you so much, Carol," Addison said as she adjusted the jacket on her shoulders. "I really appreciate what you did..."

And she did. Addison really appreciated Carol doing that; before she left England, Addison and Nick had packed every single thing they had. Literally. And, somehow, they had manages to keep most of it, so there were more than just a couple of bags in the back of the truck... Carol didn't have to go through all those bags of clothes and other things they found useful at the time only to find her jacket, but she did, and she also spared Addison from doing something she wasn't quite ready for yet.

"Oh, don't mention it," she said softly. "It was really nothing..."

Addison smiled at her. Then, she looked at the group and noticed they were only waiting for her.

"If there's anything you need," she said rather quickly. "Anything that anyone might need in those bags, please, by all means, take it."

"Oh, you don—"

"I insist. There's plenty of clothes in there so... And, watch Annie again? Please?"

That was something she didn't even have to ask, Carol thought to herself. She would take care of Analeigh even if she hadn't said a word. "Of course."

Addison wanted to hug Carol, but she knew she was holding everyone back and they were wasting precious time so she just smiled wider and whispered a very honest "thank you". Admittedly, it wasn't much, but then again, she had never been good with that kind of situation. Then, after placing a quick kiss on the little girl's forehead, she turned on her heels and rejoined Rick and everyone else.

"Sorry about that," Addison said taking the flashlight Maggie was handing her.

"No problem," Rick told her with a sympathetic nod. "But let's get going..."

#

It was quite unnerving and very unsettling to roam through the dark corridors of that facility.

They all knew that, being a prison, windows weren't exactly something the architects would keep in mind during project and construction. They were more concerned about safety and that the building would fit its purpose and would keep the inmates inside.

_I have never felt safer and more at risk than right now,_ Glenn thought to himself, though he didn't say a word; he just kept following Daryl and T-Dog.

But, truth was, he wasn't the only one feeling like a walking paradox. They've been walking through those corridors for about five minutes, but it felt like the elapsed time was a lot more.

Up until now, they had stumbled upon half a dozen of walkers, which were quickly dispatched by Daryl's impeccable aim and T-Dog's mean swing and fine use of the machete.

A few more steps and the two men on the front exchanged a look and then stopped. They had reached a T-intersection. Daryl took one careful step forward and quickly inspected both ways; it all appeared to be clear. But then, something caught his attention.

Daryl signaled everyone to stay put while he took a few steps to his right. He tried to ignore his name being called by T-Dog and Glenn as he tiptoed further into the corridor with his back facing the wall all the time and his crossbow already in position to take a shot if necessary.

He hadn't distanced too much from the rest of the group, maybe just four or five feet, when he stopped. A rather big door made out of steel or something like it stood before his eyes. He had only noticed it because of the faint beam of light that was escaping through the small space between the bottom of the door and the floor.

Then, as he studied the door, he noticed someone approaching him with a flashlight in hand. It was Rick.

"Whaddya think?" Daryl asked when the dark haired man stood next to him.

He could see Rick's thoughtful expression as he studied the door. They could hear soft groans coming from the other side, along with the sound of shuffling feet.

"There are walkers inside," he muttered to himself, just thinking out loud.

"Maybe it's the cafeteria," Glenn suggested hopefully. By now, they were all gathered next to Rick and Daryl, facing the closed door.

"Or the infirmary," Maggie offered.

Rick glanced at the four people standing by his right side. They were all holding onto their weapons, ready to put them in action.

"Only one way to find out," he said, and with that, he took a step forward and opened the door.

It was considerably easier to dispatch the walkers that had been confined behind that door. They weren't exactly waiting for anything so, when the door went open, they didn't instantly reached out to grab the six survivors standing there; if they were still alive, one could have said they were processing what had just happened. But that wasn't the case and, in all honesty, no one really cared. All they cared about was to inflict some damage to the brain of those creatures, and so they did. As soon as they laid eyes on the group of walkers, Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, T-Dog and Addison made themselves useful and each one reached for the closest walker and used what they had in hand to take it down. Didn't take long until all the rotten carcasses were back to the dead, where they belonged.

"Well," Daryl said as he pulled an arrow from a walker's eye socket and wiped it on his jeans. "It ain't the cafeteria..."

"Or the infirmary," added T-Dog as he watched around, evaluating what they had done and taking in the surroundings.

Maggie stepped around some of the decaying corpses. "It's not the cafeteria... or the infirmary," she continued as she walked past Glenn and T-Dog, nearing left wall of the room; she then reached for a silver valve and turned it a few times. A very satisfied smirk tugged on her lips as she reached out, letting water fall on her hand. "But, on the bright side? Now we know this place still has running water. I'll admit it's damn cold, but..."

Maggie's optimism, Addison noted, had touched everyone who was standing in the middle of that bathroom. Even though the floor was littered with walkers, everyone indulged a smile, a small celebration over a very welcoming achievement. It was interesting to see how such simple thing as a shower could suddenly make everyone feel slightly better, perhaps even happier... Then, Addison's eyes caught something that made her look twice only to be sure she wasn't hallucinating, and even then, she almost pinched herself.

This time, along with Rick, Maggie, Glenn and T-Dog, Addison saw a small half smile on Daryl's face as he watched the water flowing through the still open shower.

_Holy damn... Frowning isn't everything he can do. Daryl Dixon knows how to smile._

Later that day, Addison decided that the only reason why she kept her eyes on the man with the crossbow for longer than a couple of seconds was only because she was genuinely surprised with the fact that he wasn't a sourly individual all the time. Just that and not anything else...


	14. Odds are

******DISCLAIMER:** THE WALKING DEAD AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. I do not own anything but my OCs and am still working on the plot but, just so you know, I haven't read the comics so, any resemblance to the plot-line from the comics is purely coincidental.

Thanks everyone for the reviews, favs and follows! I very much appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this story; they make me smile and also make me keep writing! Thanks a lot.

This has nothing to do with this story but, to everyone who's watching the new season of TWD and are going to watch tonight's episode, I just wanted to wish you all good luck. I don't know about you, but God knows I'm not ready for tonight's episode (even though I'll only watch it tomorrow, but that's not the point) and the damn hiatus that's coming ;_; Lord have mercy on our souls...

So, new chapter and I sure hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think, would you? Reviews make me smile :)

* * *

**XIV.** _Odds are..._

Lori lied down tiredly on the surprisingly soft mattress and let her head rest against the improvised pillow which was her folded sleeveless jacket. Her eyes were barely open and she coached herself to breathe slowly. Ever since she found out she was expecting a baby, Lori Grimes knew it wasn't going to be easy. She was still on the first trimester and things were pretty complicated already, she could only imagine what it would be like four, five, six months from now.

"Oh, God," she murmured, her right hand resting on her still flat belly. The now very familiar nausea hit her hard and she used her left hand to cover her mouth and nose.

The moment she saw the result on the pregnancy test Glenn brought to her, Lori knew what to expect, though she never thought it'd be quite like this — better yet, she _hoped_ it wouldn't be quite like this... When they were at the farm, she could manage; it wasn't easy and she could feel what it was doing to her body, but now that they were nowhere near the farm, that they had lost everything and didn't have anything, now she was able to see the bigger picture, and from a brand new perspective... Suddenly, the idea of bringing a newborn to the world as it was didn't look very clever. Lori's thoughts wandered back to when Glenn had brought her the morning after pills and, for a split second, she wished she hadn't threw them up...

_What exactly am I doing?_ She thought to herself.

Lori didn't know she was on the verge of crying until she felt a warm tear falling. She shut her eyes closed and pressed her lips together; she didn't want anyone else to see her crying, or hearing for that matter... Damn, she was a mess. Maybe it was the hormones, or maybe it was her finally realizing what she had gotten herself into, but for the next few minutes, Lori just laid on the bunk bed and let her tears fall.

Then, the nausea she'd been feeling increased and she couldn't just ignore it anymore. There was a toilet in each cell but Lori ignored that; she quickly stood up and ran as fast as she could. She had just reached the exterior of the prison when she couldn't hold it back any longer over — bending over, Lori put her hands on her knees and vomited.

Straightening up and using the building's wall as support for her weak body, Lori shut her eyes closed, trying not to burst into tears one more time. She inhaled deeply a few times the fresh air and tried to conjure a happy thought. It didn't really work for as she recalled the moment she held Carl in her arms, the tiny bundle of life, tears started to make their way down her cheeks like Niagara Falls.

As a mother, Lori couldn't help but wonder what kind of life that baby would have. She began rubbing her belly as her thoughts started to wander astray. The baby would never have one moment of peace, he or she would never be able to play with other kids their age and would never really have a childhood... Was that right? I mean, this was a brutal world for adults, what would it be for a baby?

Lori let her head fall to her chest and she protectively placed both hands over her belly. "I'm sorry," she whispered between tears. "I'm so, _so_ sorry..."

#

Since Addison had gone with Rick and a few of the group into the prison, Carol was responsible for Analeigh.

The older woman knew the toddler wasn't Sophia and that her child would never come back to her... But even though she was well aware of those facts, Carol was a mother, and she really cherished having that little girl around. Analeigh — or Annie, like she had told her to call her — was like a blessing in this god-forsaken world. The little blonde was just five, all right, but she had been able to make the grown woman smile again, and she hadn't genuinely smiled in a damn long time...

As she headed back outside, Carol's eyes drifted to the little girl that was holding onto her hand and she could see how frightened Analeigh was. _No wonder,_ she thought to herself... Seeing Rick, Daryl, T-Dog, Glenn and Maggie gearing up to go back in there was kind of unsettling even for Carol, she could only imagine what it was like to Analeigh. But, despite it all, the girl was holding it together just fine, though it didn't make Carol feel that great about it. _That can't be normal,_ she thought to herself. _Can it?_

Carol frowned softly, but kept walking towards the silver Ram parked on the patio. Her thoughts constantly wandering back to Annie and whether or not it was okay the way she dealt with everything...

As they reached the truck, Carol turned to the little blonde and asked if she wanted to help again.

"Yeah," Analeigh replied, but there was something in her voice that made Carol's heart ache a little. She didn't ask any questions, though. She wanted to; being a mother, Carol was concerned about the kid's well-being but she was afraid the little kid would only retract even more... Even though she slept in her arms the night before, Carol could feel Annie didn't exactly trust her; she got wary whenever Addison was away and, while it saddened Carol, she also understood her reaction. She didn't want to do no harm to either her or Addison, but she knew she had to give Analeigh some space and earn her trust. She could be just five years old, but she was a five year old that managed to survive this far... that kind of thing leaves some kind of mark.

"Okay then," Carol said as she put up a small smile. "Let's look for anything that's good for winter, shall we?" She had found some long sleeved pieces while looking for Addison's jacket and she thought she could see how many she had and, perhaps share some with the rest of the group. Even though Addison had insisted on her taking what she needed, Carol couldn't help but feel weird, and after all, it was still Addison's stuff, not hers...

Analeigh nodded.

"Would you look the bags that are inside while I check the ones on the back?" Carol suggested and, one more time, Analeigh nodded in agreement.

A bigger smile crossed Carol's face. There was a flicker of enthusiasm on Analeigh's grey eyes and she was happy for that.

"Great! With your help, I'm sure we'll do it a lot faster."

When Analeigh smiled back at Carol, the older woman felt her heart melting a bit. She was an angel...

.

Carol had been going through the set of black luggage, which basically had men's clothing when she heard Annie's soft voice calling her.

"Miss Carol?"

"Yes, Annie?"

"That woman... is she all right?"

Woman? What woman? Furrowing her brows, Carol stopped her search for warm clothes, socks and things like that and began to walk back to where she had left Annie... she wanted to know who was the woman she was talking about. But Carol didn't need to ask Annie; she didn't even need to see where the girl was looking at to recognize the woman: it was Lori. And she was leaning against the building's external wall, her hand on her abdomen.

"Come here, sweetie," Carol said, reaching out for Analeigh. The blonde girl made her way to the front seat and, stretching her arms in front of her, allowed Carol to take her in her arms then put her down. "Let's go there for a minute, okay?"

Taking Carol's hands, Analeigh followed and the two of them headed to where the woman was still standing...

.

Since her hormones were in control, and her emotions were out of control, Lori didn't hear Carol and Analeigh approaching her. It was only when the older woman's soft hands came in contact with her right arm that she realized she was no longer alone.

She looked up and found two pairs of sympathetic eyes fixed on her. Carol had an idea as to why Lori was like that, but Analeigh was clueless.

"Are you okay, Miss?" asked the little girl, softly.

Lori's brown eyes left Carol's and she found herself staring at the petite figure. Truthfully, she hadn't paid much attention to either Addison or Analeigh... she exchanged a few words with the young woman, but didn't really acknowledged her presence around. Even last night, when she shared her food with everyone, Lori didn't put a lot of effort to get to know the two new girls like Carol did. She had been too scared, too tired...

Brushing the tears away, Lori focused her glance on the little kid._ She's a lot younger than Carl is,_ she thought to herself. _Or Sophia was..._

Analeigh's big and expressive grey eyes were fixed on Lori and she could even see the emotions dancing on those clear orbs... She was curious, concerned even, but it was something else that made Lori's heart shrink in her chest — it was the innocence she saw as she looked at the kid.

Lori's knees threatened to buckle and once again, she placed her hands on her knees for some support and slightly bent over. Carol's hand never left her arm; if anything, she tightened her grip and took a step forward, in case something happened and she needed to reach out for her. It wasn't necessary, and Carol watched as Lori slowly got down on her knees.

Inhaling deeply, Lori Grimes looked up and her eyes met Analeigh's. The girl was still carefully looking at her.

"Yeah," she finally murmured in response to her previous question. "I am okay, honey..."

Lori watched as the little girl bit on her lower lip, almost if deciding whether or not to ask the next question. "Then... why are you crying?"

A small smile played with Lori's lips before she said, "I'm just tired."

"Dee-dee says that when she cries," Analeigh whispered quietly. "But I think she's sad... are you sad?"

The little blonde's words caught Lori with her guard down. Lately, she had gotten used to people's measured words and all; it was like no one wanted to really bring up certain subjects, probably to spare themselves from really knowing since they all had their share of drama going on, so she didn't really remember how kids could be very perceptive and straight forward. Lori averted her eyes for a moment and studied the ground.

"Maybe a little," she admitted, raising her head again.

She looked a little sad, indeed. Then, Analeigh remembered the one thing her mommy would do when she was sad and took a step forward, wrapping her arms around Lori's neck.

The brunette was taken aback by the little girl's acts, but Lori knew better than to push the kid away.

"Don't be sad," Analeigh whispered in her ear, repeating the words from her mother. "Things will be okay... they always do."

All of a sudden, it was too much for Lori to handle. She wrapped her arms around the girl's petite frame and allowed the hot tears to flood down her cheeks... Maybe it was desperate, but she wanted so much to believe in something so she chose to hold onto Analeigh's words. Then, a thought occurred to Lori: if that little girl survived this hell and still had all this joy, hope and innocence inside her, then maybe her unborn child could pull through it. It was one hell of a maybe, but she needed to believe it was possible.

#

After finding the bathroom, Daryl, T-Dog, Maggie, Glenn, Rick and Addison kept pushing forward, wandering farther into the prison.

They hadn't find the cafeteria yet but, judging by the fact that whenever they advanced about thirty feet a group of walkers appeared, they managed to dispatch something around twenty or more so far...

"Bright side," Addison whispered to Rick after they took down another small group of walkers. "This building will be free of undead inmates pretty damn soon..."

Rick addressed Addison a glance and just nodded. She was right and, while he was really looking forward to make that place totally secure, or at least the building they've been occupying since the Correction Facility consisted of six different buildings, apart from another one that Rick assumed to be where the main building, where the staff would stay, the administrative house.

The corridor they were currently on ended and there was only one way to go. Communicating only with signs, Daryl asked T-Dog for his flashlight and the other man handed it to him, although a bit hesitantly.

Exchanging a brief look with Rick, Daryl got closer to the wall and, once again, ventured into the unknown alone.

_Makes me wonder who has a death wish,_ Addison mused to herself. Sure Daryl was one of the front men, but that didn't mean he had to do everything on his own... I mean, T-Dog was there with him, there was no need for him to enhance his chances of getting caught by a swarm of those vile creatures.

But as she found herself wondering about the possibility of such thing happening, she tried really hard to stop it altogether. Sure thing she barely even knew Daryl, but it didn't matter. The mere thought of someone —anyone— being caught by walkers sent shivers down Addison's spine and it made her feel incredibly antsy, and she was really starting to get pretty damn mad with that Daryl Dixon... It was the third time or so that he made her get restless since they decided to find the cafeteria.

Shaking her head, Addison tried to think of something else and try not to focus of the unsettling feeling that was making her stomach turn into knots.

"Keep going," Rick whispered to the Maggie and Glenn when the light of Daryl's lantern disappeared around the corner. T-Dog had already followed Daryl.

Walking with small but steady steps, Addison followed Rick, taking some time to check their back for any walkers; last thing she wanted was any of those creatures to creep up on them while they were paying attention on what was lying ahead... It was all clear.

When Addison turned around so she was staring right ahead, she had to quickly stop in her tracks. She nearly bumped on Glenn's back.

She furrowed her brows as she took in the scene before her eyes: No one was moving and they all had fell silent. _What the hell...?_

The eerie silence and the fact that they weren't moving made something twist inside Addison and, acting on instinct, she reached for her Desert Eagle, flipped the safety off and raised it along with her flashlight. That's when she saw it.

Right before her eyes, at the end of the corridor, there was a door — well, to be more precise, two doors.

They stood there for about two or maybe three seconds. It wasn't a lot, but Addison felt like if she had to stand there and wait one more second for something to happen or someone to take the lead on that, she would go crazy.

Checking if the silencer of her gun was correctly adjusted, she cocked it, making the first round of the magazine to slide into the chamber and walked towards the doors. As she walked past everyone, she heard the soft sound of shifting feet behind her and she assumed they were changing their stance, probably getting ready to take action.

Addison took a deep breath as she stood in front of the closed doors; she put her flashlight inside an inner pocket of her jacket, leaving one hand free so she could reach out and let her fingers graze the surface before reaching for the handle. It was cold and probably made of steel, or perhaps, since it was a prison after all, some bulletproof material, she had no idea.

As she tightened the hold around the cold handle, Addison could feel her heart rate increasing. Swallowing hard, she looked back to where the group stood. Just like she had figured, they all seemed ready to slay any walkers that would stumble through those doors... It was quite a view; both encouraging and unsettling. Encouraging for she knew the five of them were all business right now, and unsettling because she couldn't even think what they'd have to do if something went wrong, or if there were too many of those things inside... Then, Addison found Rick's eyes glued on her.

She could read the message in his eyes almost as if she was reading a book. He was silently telling her that they were ready when she was. She just gave him a short nod before returning her eyes to the only barrier that was separating them from whatever was on the other side. But, before she could pull it open, Addison caught a glimpse the now very familiar crossbow pointed right at her — or, as she gave it a second thought, pointed at the door, since she was right next to it... But she didn't dwell on that thought; she didn't know what was going on inside the man's head and, quite frankly, she didn't know if she wanted to know. Looking past the weapon, Addison met Daryl's icy blue eyes. It was only for only a brief second, but it had been enough for her to see something that made her feel something stirring inwardly.

Addison quickly averted her eyes and tried to shut everything off. She tried to get on automatic mode like she did when she was killing those walkers the day before but, for some reason, it wasn't working right now.

_Come on, Addison,_ she mentally scolded herself. _Get a grip. Come on!_

Without thinking too much, Addison raised her gun once again at the same time she pulled one side of the door open.

For a moment, they all stood still, even holding their breath while staring at the open door. But, unexpectedly, the seconds passed and nothing happened.

Breathing out, Addison looked around and noticed that everyone had this weird look in their faces; she believed she looked just the same, though. Up until now, they had faced walkers wandering through the corridors and even heard some moans coming some closed doors so; not finding any walkers walking through the door was quite the surprise.

This time, she wasn't the first one to move. With the corner of her eye, Addison caught a glimpse of Daryl lowering his crossbow, but not loosening his grip around it, as he took one step forward. She fought the urge to roll her eyes or to say something at him, though she rubbed her face with her free hand in annoyance before reaching for the flashlight that she had pocketed moments ago and following the man into whatever it was they were all heading to.

Addison waited for Rick and Glenn to walk through the open door for her to do the same. She hasn't taken three steps when the view made her stop on her tracks rather abruptly.

She was still processing what she was seeing when Glenn let out a very surprised "whoa..."

"Whoa indeed," Addison said in agreement.

Their eyes met and the young Asian man was smiling broadly and his dark eyes were sparkling with such enthusiasm that she couldn't help but smile right back at him. The joy that she saw in Glenn's eyes and his overall attitude was contagious and, for a moment, Addison was able to forget about the horrors that lurked dangerously close to them, and how nervous she'd been all the time she took one step further into that building... Well, there was that and also the fact that she was almost as thrilled as he was.

#

Even though he had his eyes focused on the dark path ahead of them, Daryl could feel that everyone was watching him intently, waiting for any change on the pace or something like that... But, more than that, he could feel this one pair of dark eyes fixed on him, and they did not belong to Glenn.

The first time when he briefly separated from the group, Daryl noticed that everyone got slightly apprehensive, and the new girl wasn't different. However, after they found out it was just the bathroom, they all eased — well, all but one.

Then, as the continued their progress into the prison, it became more evident to the hunter that something was bothering Addison. He frowned both inwardly and outwardly but didn't say a word; it was indeed unnerving to wander through those corridors, not really knowing what awaits them around the next turn, but, since Addison was the newest member or that group and he didn't really know how she functioned or to what extent he could trust her, Daryl didn't ignore the change in her behavior, even though it was completely understandable... Hell, he was nervous! He could only imagine how the rest of the group was.

So, when they faced the double doors at the end of the corridor, Daryl stopped dead in his tracks. He was trying to process everything they've been through so far and trying to consider what could be lying behind those heavy doors. It could be something good or bad; it could be the cafeteria or some passage way to another area of the prison compound that could be infested with walkers... odds were 50/50. Plain and simple.

Daryl had just decided that they should get over with it already when something caught his eyes. Looking to his left, he noticed Addison taking one step forward and then another and another until she was facing the door.

It surprised him that she made the first move. _She's something else,_ Daryl thought to himself as he brought up his crossbow and positioned it so he was ready to fire at whatever geeks that would come through those doors. Daryl didn't even realize that Addison was also on the end of his weapon until he glanced at her and found her staring right back at him.

When he saw the look she addressed him, Daryl felt bad. Would she think he was aiming at her and not anywhere else? Well, that was definitely a possibility... But he didn't have time to fix it or anything since Addison quickly averted her eyes.

_Fuckin' great,_ Daryl thought quite bitterly, tightening his grip on his crossbow. _Now she's probably thinkin' yer tryin' to kill her..._

Then, another thought popped in his mind, but Daryl tried his best to ignore it. At least for now, since she had pulled the door open.

When nothing came out, Daryl promptly left his place and walked towards the door. He convinced himself it was because he was done waiting and not because he was thoroughly avoiding the young brunette, and he was not thinking about Maggie...

#

"We should take some of these," Rick said, indicating the incredibly large supply that the prison's cafeteria still had. There was enough food to keep them fed through the whole damn winter and perhaps more.

No one waited for another word. On cue with what Rick had said, they all began to search for something to carry the food back to their cell block.

There were several boxes containing various different kinds of canned food.

"Hey, Addison," T-Dog called out. "Help me here, please?"

"Sure," she agreed and joined the African American guy as they pulled a rather big box of canned beans.

"You know," he said as they moved onto another row of pilled boxes. "I don't think I ever thanked you for last night's dinner..."

Addison waved her hand at him. "Please, it was nothing. I just did what anyone else would have done in my place."

"Uh, not anyone…" In all honesty, T-Dog didn't really think there were many people out there sharing whatever food they had with people they barely knew... Let alone a group of ten.

"Well, any decent individuals then," she corrected herself and the two of them smiled as they placed a box of canned fruit on top of the beans.

Then, Addison noticed that there was some mild chatting going on. Glenn and Maggie were giggling over whatever it was that they were talking about and even Rick and Daryl exchanged a few words.

She was just studying the cafeteria, making mental notes of what they had there — food, spices, beverages — when she heard footsteps by her right.

"So, T-Dog, what do yo—" Addison's sentence died in her mouth as she looked away from the shelves. Inadvertently, she took a step back as she recognized the person. "Oh..."

As soon as he noticed he wasn't alone on the storage area, Daryl stopped. Out of all people, it obviously should be Addison to be there... Just his luck.

"I thought it was T-Dog," she said hesitantly. After the little thing that happened right before they got there, the little thing she was trying really hard to delete from her memory, last thing she wanted was to face Daryl again — especially alone.

Biting on her lip, Addison did her best to avoid the piercing blue eyes that were suddenly fixed on her. She awkwardly pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat.

"I'll just..." But she never really said any other words. Instead, she walked past Daryl and headed straight to the very opposite direction.

There was something about Daryl, more precisely, something about what she saw in his eyes that reminded her of someone else...

_Oh, come on, you were good at Math, girl. You are missing someone on your count... Or you're purposely ignoring Gabriel now? Because, you know, that wouldn't be n—_

"Shut up," she muttered through gritted teeth as she continued her walk towards the center of the open area of the cafeteria, where Maggie and Glenn were waiting for T-Dog, Rick and Daryl. She didn't need any voices inside her head constantly reminding her of Gabriel. Not now and certainly not ever... She had enough reminders to not let her ever forget.

Addison whispered a casual "hey" as she approached the couple, just to make them know she would be waiting the rest of the guys with them.

It didn't take long for the three men join them. T-Dog was carrying two boxes of food, Rick had two bags of something that Addison couldn't name the content and Daryl was right behind, carrying two packs of some beverage. Added the box of canned meat and a bag of rice that Glenn had taken, the four men were pretty much doing all the heavy lifting and that fact didn't go unnoticed to anyone.

"We can leave some things," Glenn said as he looked around. "I mean, we can always come back for more later... It's not like—"

But, before he could finish his line of thought, Addison interrupted him. "We can back you up," she said and, just like that, all eyes were on her, but she searched for Rick's. "I mean, Maggie and I can cover for you. One in the front, one in the back. We have guns with silencers and I have practically three magazines intact... Maggie, you have two, right?" She then searched for Maggie and she nodded.

Even though she thought it was doable, Addison left it to Rick to decide; she had gone far enough with only suggesting such thing...

"I don't know," he said dubiously. Truth was: the idea of him having his defenses being reduced to only two was something he wasn't quite fond of... Besides, Glenn was right. They could go back later for more.

Rick was just finishing weighing the pros and cons (there were more cons than pros to be accounted for) when Daryl spoke up.

"Here," the hunter said, placing one pack of beverage on top of the pile of boxes T-Dog was carrying and handing the other one to Glenn. Both men let out soft grunts when the extra weight was added but they didn't complain. Daryl then took his crossbow and loaded an arrow. "I'll take the front. Ya can get the back... If somethin' shows up, I'll hear it first, 'n if I need any help, good thing the ladies have ammo."

Rick reconsidered their arrangement for about three seconds before finally agreeing. Now that they had three people to fight any threats if they appeared, things seemed more balanced.

"All right," he said with a short nod. "But let's be careful... All of us."

"You don't have to say it twice," Maggie whispered quietly as she checked her gun. She then addressed a glance at Addison and the two women shared a small smile as they waited for T-Dog and Glenn to follow Rick and Daryl.

.

The walk back to the cell block was mostly quiet and uneventful. Just like when they were looking for the cafeteria, their progress was slow but careful.

They had just reached the bathroom when something made Daryl stop dead on his tracks.

"Walkers," he whispered, but that was very unnecessary. Everyone had heard that as well.

They waited a moment, trying to pinpoint the origin of the shuffling feet and moaning, though it was only when they entered their sight that they learned their position.

"Go, go, go!" Daryl ushered them all to the direction they were supposed to be heading to. The horde of walkers was right in front of them, lucky enough, it wasn't the path they had to take.

The hunter kept looking at the swarm of geeks that were closing on him and at the rest of the group. "C'mon," he said a bit annoyed as he kept his crossbow aimed at the walkers.

He knew if he was to shoot, he'd lose an arrow for there was no way he could just run and retrieve it, so firing was a last resource only.

But the problem was that walkers didn't care about Daryl's arrows or whatever. All they cared about was the meal that was waiting for them... So they reached out their rotten, decaying arms and opened their filthy mouths, as their eyes focused on the six people running right in front of them.

"Fuckin' dammit," Daryl cursed and adjusted his weapon so he was aiming the closest walker's forehead. He didn't have time to count them all but, judging by what he'd seen, there should be about eight, maybe ten walkers. It wasn't much, sure, but he only had so many arrows...

He was just about to pull the trigger and fire the first bolt when he heard the faint sound of a muffled shot and, just like that, the big fat rotten walker that was coming right at him fell to the ground. Totally mute.

"What the hell are you waiting for?" he heard one really annoyed Addison growl next to him. "Move! Let's go!"

For a split second, Daryl stood, rooted to the spot he was standing. He wasn't really expecting for her to show up, let alone to talk to him like that. He wanted to tell her she didn't have to do that, that he had it under control and some other words, but didn't. Only because he realized it wasn't the time for that. So, against his own will, he turned his back to the rather small horde of walkers and ran. Every now and then he'd look back, only to be greeted with a "hurry up!" or a damn harsh "go!" and the sound of bodies dropping to the floor.

Cursing under his breath, Daryl kept running. He could see that, a few steps ahead of him, T-Dog, Glenn and Rick were following Maggie as she led the way back to their cell block.

Soon enough, the heavy door that indicated safety came into Daryl's view and he ran through it.

_Whoa... That was close,_ he thought to himself as he let his eyes search the place for the rest of the group.

He wasn't even winded, but he noticed T-Dog was breathing with a little more difficulty that usual and Glenn had his hands on his knees; Maggie was standing right next to him, as usual and Rick was just a few feet ahead of him, the bags he'd been carrying lying on the ground like everything that T and Glenn had brought... But there was something about Rick's stance that made Daryl frown. The former Deputy Sheriff had his trusty Python in his hand; he wasn't aiming at anything in particular, but was expectantly staring at the door that they had just run through.

It suddenly dawned on Daryl what was going on... Addison didn't return.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the mean cliffhanger...**


	15. There and back again

******DISCLAIMER:** THE WALKING DEAD AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. I do not own anything but my OCs and am still working on the plot but, just so you know, I haven't read the comics so, any resemblance to the plot-line from the comics is purely coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Hi everyone!

Two things I'd like to say to you all. First, as you may have noticed, I changed my pen-name! It's still me, not to worry; I just wanted something new. Second, thank you all so much! I got some amazing feedback during the last week and so many alerts which was awesome. Thanks a lot everyone, you all really made me smile real big :D

I have a few other things I'd like to say, but I'll get back on that later... For now, here's a new chapter; I sure hope you all enjoy it and, please, don't forget to let me know what you think!

* * *

**XV.** _There and back again_

Carol couldn't help but smile as the scene unfolded before her eyes. How Lori held tightly onto Annie, almost as if something depended on the embrace, and how the little girl let herself be held...

There was something beautiful and tragic about that situation. There they were: a five year old girl, probably with no family left aside from the young brunette that she so dearly called "Dee-Dee", trying give some sort of comfort to a grown woman, mother of a thirteen year old boy and pregnant with her second child.

Carol wrapped her arms around her torso and pressed her lips together. She could feel her eyes getting wet and a lump forming in her throat... Like Lori, Carol Peletier knew it was quite the pressure to put on such young kid, but Analeigh was like a breath of fresh air into their troubled life, like an island of hope in the middle of the sea of despair that they had been adrift and afloat for quite a while now.

After a moment, Carol had to look elsewhere and force herself to think of something else as her thoughts began to threaten to veer out of her control and she brushed a tear away. The gray haired woman let her eyes scan the surroundings. _How are they all doing?_ she thought to herself as her eyes wandered back to the inside of the building.

Ever since she heard they would explore the inside of the prison, Carol had been nervous. She knew it was necessary and that they would need whatever supplies that they could find at the prison's cafeteria or infirmary, but she just couldn't help it. Maybe it was because she was a mother or maybe it was because the idea of having people she knew inside those walls, fighting the walkers was pretty unsettling... Either way, with each minute that passed and they didn't come back, it made her anxiety grow. And she was pretty damn sure she wasn't the only one — Lori seemed as troubled as she was, if not more...

Then, as she stood there, biting on her lip nervously, Carol heard something that caught her attention. It was the sound of a door being open. She knew it wasn't Carl, Beth or Hershel since the three of them were up in the guard towers, so it was either Rick and everyone else or maybe walkers found their way to their cell block.

Lori must have heard it as well because the two women exchanged a worried look.

"Is it them?" the brunette asked, still holding little Annie in her arms. If they were walkers, she'd be damned to let a five year old get caught.

Carol shook her head at her. "Can't tell for sure," she said, daring to take one tiny step to her left so she'd have a better look.

Still, no such luck. But Carol knew if she wanted to know for sure she had only two options: either go inside or wait. And, while going inside didn't seem one bit appealing, the idea of waiting didn't sit well either... Quickly looking around, Carol searched for something to use as a weapon; she could make a run for the truck and grab one of Addison's guns, but she didn't really want to do that.

"Here," Lori said and Carol looked at her. She was handing her a small handgun, which she took after some hesitation.

Exchanging a knowing look, Carol just nodded at Lori and stepped inside, doing her very best to make no noises. She would have enough to handle if there were walkers, she didn't want to announce her presence there and become an easier prey. No, sir. So she managed to be very quiet.

Although, as she crossed the spacious room and neared the door, Carol realized she wouldn't have to use her gun. Pushing the safety back on, she made a quick run to where she saw Maggie and Glenn leaning against one of the small tables. They seemed quite scared if she was to be honest.

"What happened?" Carol asked without even thinking.

"Found the cafeteria..."

She only heard Glenn answering; her eyes were already scanning the goods they had brought... She saw the boxes that T-Dog dropped to the ground next to him, the ones Glenn had placed on the table and the two bags that someone else had taken.

A small smile played on the corner of Carol's lips as she raised her eyes to face everyone. But then, something felt odd. She saw Rick staring at the door and also Daryl.

_No..._

Carol then made a quick headcount on everyone that was standing in that room. There was Maggie and Glenn, T-Dog, Rick, Daryl...

"Where's Addison?"

#

Apprehension settled like a heavy dark cloud carrying the worst storm ever above the head of every single person that stood in front of the open door; not one single exception. Even Daryl found himself getting more and more anxious. The seconds were passing and nothing was happening.

Daryl knew better than just sit around, hoping and praying for anything to happen; it never worked, never. But, at that precise moment, he couldn't help but do exactly that.

_C'mon... _Transferring his weight from one leg to the other, Daryl chewed on the inside of his lower lip._ C'mon, dammit._

Then, he recognized Carol's voice asking for Addison and he had to gather all of his energy to not say anything he could regret later. He knew the woman should be concerned about the new girl's well-being, but Daryl was just not in the mood for Carol's chick flick moments...

He tried to tune her off and fixed his eyes on the open space between the safe cell block and the corridors. Part of the hunter was telling him to get his crossbow in position to dispatch any walkers that could go astray and wander into the room where they were all standing, but he didn't. The string was pulled, there was one arrow in his right hand, ready to be placed in position if necessary and Daryl was not loosening his grip on it, but it was currently resting against his right leg.

He tried not to count the elapsed time in his head but it was getting harder and harder, and it reached the unbearable when he heard Maggie's faint voice telling Carol that Addison was still inside.

As soon as he heard those words, something snapped inside Daryl. And maybe it also happened to Rick, because the moment the hunter searched for the former Deputy Sheriff's eyes, he was already staring back at him.

"Let's go back," Rick said and Daryl just nodded.

In all honesty, Rick didn't have to say that out loud for he had already got the message, but T-Dog, Glenn, Maggie and Carol had not.

Daryl brought his crossbow up and placed the arrow where it was supposed to be while Rick talked to everyone. Apparently, they had volunteered to tag along, but Rick dismissed that.

"No," he said sternly. "Last thing we need is to get in there with a crowd and get jammed up in those corridors... Glenn, you stay with Maggie and Carol. T, you come with us."

Daryl quickly glanced at the group gathered there; he could see disappointment written all over Glenn, Maggie and Carol's faces. He didn't think Rick was wrong... but he also was thinking that maybe, just maybe, if they all could come, so they could expand the search and go through corridors they hadn't went before. However, as he gave it a second thought, it was a bigger risk and that's something they were avoiding at all costs. What if the something happened to the other group? What if they accidentally attacked each other, mistaken them by walkers? No. It was better to keep it simple. It would take longer, but there would be less on the stake — only three people instead of six.

_Ain't that one hell of a cheerful thought,_ Daryl sarcastic thought to himself.

He looked away from the group of people and back to the door. He guessed they should be there for a minute, perhaps two, but it felt a lot longer.

"Let's get goin', people," he grunted impatiently as he approached the door carefully. He couldn't hear or see anything.

Then, a hand came in contact with Daryl's shoulder; he turned his head and found Rick's blue eyes glued on him.

"Together," he said simply.

"Don' need ta tell me," Daryl replied, and his words came out harsher than he was expecting.

Rick furrowed his eyebrows at Daryl, but the hunter didn't say anything else. Instead, he just eased his expression and gave him a short nod as he started to carefully walk down those corridors once again.

Daryl knew he hadn't been fair with Rick, but he was getting mad. He was mad that that stupid girl stayed behind and he was damn pissed that she did so trying to protect him. He didn't need that. He survived for days in the woods when he was a child. He grew up with an excuse of a man for a father; a man who would beat him to unconsciousness and who'd leave him there, like he was nothing but garbage. He had to endure living with a brother who was most of the time in jail, and when he wasn't, he'd be calling him names and treating him like shit. Daryl Dixon did not need some upscale girl to show up and think he was someone who needed to be protected... He was downright mad at her for thinking like that, but he was fucking furious at himself because he let it all happen. If Addison was gone, it was because he allowed that to happen.

#

Addison fired her gun a couple more times, taking down two walkers that were getting closer to her.

She took a moment to look over her shoulder and saw Daryl distancing himself from where she was standing. For a split second, Addison almost smiled in content. There would be no blood spilled today, not under her watch... However, she was quickly rushed back into reality when the familiar sound of the dead reached her ears one more time.

_Well, wouldn't it be fabulous if everyone managed to leave alive except for yours truly?_ She snorted while bringing her gun back up. She was just about to follow Daryl's steps when it dawned on her: those things, walkers, were after her. They would follow her to the ends of the world if they had to... and that meant she couldn't just go back.

Sure Rick and the others could help her, but she Addison had spend so much time fending for her own life, Analeigh's and, for quite some time, Nick's that she just forgot to consider that she had others to back her up, even though she had just saw Daryl heading towards a safe place...

She didn't really mean to shut them all off just like that, but most of her life she had learned to count on no one but herself and, as she found her facing that very imminent threat, she couldn't really help but let her mind slip back into that old behavior pattern. All she could think about was that there was a small child counting on her, who needed her to deal with all those things that were turning the world a dangerous place to live in. And that was the only thing Addison had in mind as she put a bullet through another walker's skull and started running to the other direction, away from the cell block and back into that god-forsaken building.

.

As she walked through the corridors once again, Addison barely paid attention to where she was going; she was way too busy dealing with those walkers to even discern which way lead to the cafeteria or anywhere else. She only kept moving and shooting and moving and shooting.

At some point, Addison didn't know whether she was missing all of her shots or if it was just appearing more and more of those creeps... It felt as if whenever she took one down, another came up to take its place, and, even though she hated to admit such thing, Addison was afraid she was failing to keep up with that rhythm.

She didn't know how long she'd been wandering aimlessly through those corridors; maybe it's been only a couple of minutes if Addison was to guess, but apparently it have been more than enough and it felt even longer — longer enough for her to begin to slow down.

_God fucking dammit,_ she cursed in her mind._ That__—__ that's just peachy. All I ever needed to happen..._

At that precise moment, she wished Daryl was there only so she could kick his sorry ass. It wouldn't help anything, but at least she'd feel a bit better. He needed to open his goddamn mouth and nag about her sleep schedule, or more so, the lack of it...

"That idiot," she hissed bitterly. It was easy. To blame someone else for this, that was damn easy... And even though she wanted nothing more than to blame it all on Daryl, Addison knew it was all on her. There was no one else to blame but herself and her nightmares... If she couldn't rest, it was no one else's fault.

Breathing in through her nose and breathing out through her mouth, Addison forced herself to keep going. She had to keep going, even if her lungs were starting to burn and she was slowly losing her peripheral vision. Then, the corridor she was jogging down suddenly presented a single turn to the left and she stopped; quickly turning on her heels, Addison fired some more. She almost smiled when she realized there weren't any walkers left.

Almost.

Sure she still had about twenty something rounds in two magazines and a hunting knife strapped to her thigh and she could defend herself if necessary, but that didn't erase the fact that she was alone, damn near close to exhaustion, she could feel her body was this close to cave in and those corridors had now turned into a labyrinth of some sort — a labyrinth filled with unpleasant surprises, and she just didn't know when they would appear or where.

Even though she was well aware of her delicate situation and that she needed to find her way back before she just passed out in the middle of that death trap, Addison leaned against the wall and took a couple of long, deep breaths. Her stomach turned with the rotting scent of the few corpses that lay on the ground only a few meters from where she was standing, but she tried really hard not to puke. Not that she had much in her stomach to put out but still...

After a couple of seconds, Addison felt that her breathing pattern was slowing dopwn and she brought her hand up to her face. She let out a soft groan when her fingers came in contact with her temple; there was something there, something that did not feel like sweat at all.

"Oh, man," she whimpered as she bended over and let whatever it was that she had inside, come out. It wasn't much, but the sound of the liquid hitting the floor triggered another round of spasms and she felt her throat burn as the bile rose again.

_So much for not puking,_ she mused to herself sadly as she rubbed her dirty hands on her pants and then used the part of her tank top that had been protected by the jacket to wipe her mouth._ Things were better when I was ignorant to the fact that I'm probably covered in what can only be walker's fluids. And the fact that I keep thinking about it isn't making things any better..._

Doing her best to stop shutting those thoughts off and focusing on what really mattered, Addison pushed herself off of that wall and resumed her walk. She needed to get out of those corridors and either find her way back to the cell block or find a place where she could just lay low until she was able to continue without jeopardizing her safety.

She had just taken a few steps when the faint sound of footsteps reached her now very keen hearing. It was barely perceptible and, if she was still puking and all, she wouldn't have heard it. But, lucky enough she did. And while she wasn't really fond of fighting anymore, she retrieved her gun from its holster and kept moving ahead. With a little bit of luck, she would find the bathroom or the cafeteria or something just as peaceful or empty...

#

As usual, Daryl took the lead as him, Rick and T-Dog re-entered the entrails of the building. Even though he hated doing so, he kept shifting his eyes to the ground, checking the bodies that littered the floor. But Daryl wasn't the only one doing that; Rick and T-Dog were also looking for any signs that would help them finding Addison or, worst case scenario, something that would tell them that the worst had happened.

No one said anything for it was completely unnecessary and uncalled for, but they all had one thing in their heads as they sneaked stealthy through the corridors: Sophia.

Sure Addison wasn't a scared twelve year old lost in the woods of Georgia, but still...

They had covered about five to six yards, when Daryl stopped. Rick and T-Dog followed suit, watching as the hunter got down on one knee and rolled over a corpse.

"Bullet hole," Daryl announced and Rick and T-Dog let out a breath they didn't know they were holding. Even Daryl felt one small part of the weight he was carrying on his shoulder lift as he saw that. "Must be hers," he added, glancing back at Rick. "Girl was shootin'..."

Rick just gave Daryl a short nod and shed some light ahead; there were other corpses forming some sort of trail but, as soon as he noticed where they were leading to, Rick frowned.

"We didn't go that way," T-Dog said flatly as he let his eyes follow the path which Rick was illuminating.

"Guess she didn't want to draw the walkers back to the cell block," Rick offered weakly; he failed to understand the reason why she would choose to do such thing, especially when there were more to help her, but he doubted he was wrong in thinking she wouldn't want to lead them back to the block they had secured...

"Why?" T-Dog questioned, furrowing his brows. "We're stronger in numbers. It makes no sense..."

"Actually, it does," Rick said. T-Dog's frown deepened and even Daryl was staring at Rick. "I think she was thinking about the kid, Analeigh... and let's not forget she was alone until yesterday. My guess is she did what she would have done to save the little girl," he explained.

Both T-Dog and Daryl remained in silence for a few moments, digesting what Rick had said.

"Well, now that you said that," T-Dog said as they resumed their walking, following the ominous trail of dead bodies...

"Still makes no damn sense," Daryl retorted angrily. "Who the hell would watch for that little girl if she got swarmed up by these damn things? Girl should've just kept goin'..."

Yet again, the whole "Sophia situation" came to mind. It was impossible for Rick, Daryl, T-Dog or anyone else to forget how Carol's daughter got lost in the woods a few months ago... As long as they lived, they would all remember that. But, trying to suppress those not so cheerful memories, Daryl just pushed it all away and kept going; he didn't even need to hear Rick telling for them to continue.

The trio walked in silence for a few more yards, paying attention to every turn they made and to whatever noises that could indicate more walkers or perhaps, with some luck, Addison... Nothing reached their ears, though. However, what their eyes were seeing was something completely different.

Even though half of the bodies were there for a damn long while (long enough to be nothing but skin and bones, some just bones), the amount of "fresh" kills was rather appalling.

"Hey, Daryl," T-Dog called out as they made another turn to the right. "How many walkers you said you saw?"

"About a dozen, maybe a couple less," Daryl replied; his voice matching his expression: quite somber.

"I'm not keeping tracks of anything but I'd say if we were, then I think we'd have passed that number a while ago..."

That was true. Much to Daryl's dismay, he had noted at least fifteen corpses that either presented gunshot wounds or were oozing that nasty thick and dark fluid that once was blood... and his count went up to eighteen as he saw three more corpses. While it wasn't exactly a damn huge number, it was definitely more than enough for just one person to handle.

"Let's not focus on that now, shall we?" Rick said sternly while Daryl carefully walked around the bodies — crossbow at ready if he'd have to put it to use.

He squinted as he rolled two corpses so he was staring at their rotten faces. One of them was missing its jaw and the other one had half of its skull showing. It was quite the view, only less awful than the stinging smell of human decay. But it wasn't any of that that caught Daryl's attention. He frowned upon the few holes he was seeing on their torsos.

"What's wrong?"

Daryl looked away from the corpses and found Rick and T-Dog's eyes fixed on him.

"There's bullet wounds to their chests," he told Rick who was staring at him intently, waiting for his answer. "Missed the head by a long shot..."

"That doesn't sound like her," T-Dog said dubiously. "I mean, girl's like a sharpshooter or something..."

"See for yerself if ya don' believe me then," Daryl replied, standing on his feet and searching around.

He left both men studying the corpses and took a few steps away; if they wanted to come up with any scenarios as to what must have happened or anything like that, Daryl didn't want to hear it — it was bad enough that he had to carry Addison's disappearance in his conscience. Not that he blamed himself for that, but he couldn't not think about that either.

He opened some distance between Rick and T-Dog and was checking the corridors when something made him stop in his tracks. He looked down and noticed he'd stepped on something liquid.

Shedding some light on the floor, Daryl got down on one knee to examine what exactly was that. Didn't take him long to realize what was it. _Good thing I didn' touch it,_ he thought to himself as he stood once again and looked around. There was only one corridor to his left, but his flashlight didn't catch anything, though.

Giving a low whistle, Daryl signaled with his hand so they would join him. So they did.

"She made out of here," he told them while looking at the corridor ahead.

"You sure?" Rick asked.

Daryl didn't even have to see the look in his eyes; the former Deputy Sheriff was unsure as fuck. Hell, he had been seconds ago as well. They all had seen Addison standing on top of that truck taking down walkers with one shot and later when she helped cleaning the cell block... Sure as hell someone's aim couldn't get that bad in less than 24 hours, and it could not be lucky how she handled the guns those two times.

Daryl directed his flashlight to the not so small puddle of liquids he had stepped on.

"That came out of a livin' 'n breathin' person," he said simply. "If it ain't her, then we should start worryin'... 'n I wouldn' touch it," he quickly added when T-Dog crouched next to it.

The smell of bile mixed to the odor of the bodies almost made T-Dog contribute with his own vomit. Holding his hand to his mouth, the big African American stood.

"Let's get out of here," he half said, half moaned.

#

Addison was just about giving up when she found another door. It looked awful similar to the one from the cell block that for a brief moment she believed she had made her way back somehow.

Mustering all the energy she had left, the yojng woman closed her fingers around the handle and pulled it open. However, the moment she managed to do so, she wished she hadn't.

It was a cell block indeed, but not the one she was expecting to see — it was another one. And pretty much like the one she helped securing, this one was also holding its share of inmates.

If Addison could cry, if she had the strength to do so, she would; instead, she let out a humourless chuckle.

The moment she opened the door, she drew the attention of half a dozen walkers that happened to be wandering on the spacious room. There were only two close to where she was standing and, acting on instinct, Addison pulled her gun and tried her best to aim for their heads. It took her five shots to kill two walkers. Two.

She cursed everything and nothing in particular as she stepped inside the room that was sheltering those vile creatures. She knew she couldn't kill them all — first because she had no idea how many were there and second because she was exhausted to the point where she could barely hold her weapon and aim — so she would have to go with the second best choice: hide. And by hide, she meant clear one cell and lock herself in there.

It wasn't her best plan, she was damn sure of it. It could easily turn into a death trap but it was either or just let those things get to her right there, and she was not going to give up on her life just like that. Hell, no.

So, as soon as she set a foot inside, she searched for the closest cell. Lucky enough, there was one small romm to her right which was open and none of those things were there. Praying for her legs to obey her commands for just a little longer, Addison launched herself towards the open and empty cell.

The putrid smell of rotten flesh hit her nose and she could tell one of those things was closing in on her — she hoped against all hopes that it was just one. Peeking over her shoulder, she saw two of them nearing her.

"Why obviously," she hissed annoyed as she tried to walk a bit faster as she stretched an arm out. It was the best feeling ever when her fingers closed around the cold bars of the jail cell.

Addison quickly entered the small space and pushed the bars closed just in time one of the walkers got dangerously close to getting her.

The fat man collided with the closed gate and let out a frustrated moan as he noticed his meal was out of reach. Addison saw the man's rotting hands trying to grab her; he didn't have three fingers on his left hand his right arm had been bitten and was lacking several bits of flesh. Frowning upon that unpleasant view, Addison brought her weapon and, protected by the bars that were keeping her safe for now, she rested the end of the silencer right in the middle of the walker's forehead and squeezed the trigger. The fat corpse that once was an inmate at the West Georgia Correctional Facility fell to the ground, dead for the second time.

She repeated the process with the next three walkers that got to her cell, until she heard the "click" that indicated she needed to reload. Addison still had one magazine left, but she planned on using it later, when she was in condition to keep going.

For now, she placed her gun back in its holster and left it there. Then, despite her body not being too cooperative, she needed to secure that goddamned cell. She couldn't just lock it because she didn't have the keys so, almost dragging her tired self through the small space, Addison pulled the sheets from the mattress and, using her hunting knife, cut it in long and large strips which she used to tie the mobile part of the bars to the fixed part. Whether that would work or not, Addison had no idea, but she had hopes that the four bodies that had piled up in front of the cell would help in keeping all the other geeks outside...

_Otherwise all this was for nothing and I'm as good as dead,_ she thought to herself as she leaned her back against the wall. She didn't even make it to the bunk bed; she allowed her body to slide down the wall and passed out on the cold hard floor.

#

Rick, Daryl and T-Dog didn't have to walk a lot until they found a door. It was cracked open and, as they all noticed, there were walkers inside. All of a sudden, the atmosphere became too damn heavy. She could have kept going but, since the door was open, it could also mean she had gone there. They couldn't help but think that, if she did got in there, the sound of walkers inside wasn't exactly encouraging...

Daryl found Rick's eyes and, even though he could recognize the look of hopeless in his eyes, he could also see that the man was determined to get an answer; if she was dead, he wanted to see it. T-Dog was just the same and he'd be damned if he didn't know for sure.

A short nod was all it took for the three men to get their weapons and get ready.

"On three," Rick whispered as Daryl positioned himself near the door so he'd push it open. "One... Two... Three."

At the end of Rick's count, Daryl kicked the door open and the three men barged inside the room. They didn't know what exactly was waiting for them on the other side, but they went with it.

There were approximately five walkers wandering around and a group gathered next to one of the cells. Rick quickly dispatched three of them, sending a bullet to their heads and Daryl put two down with his arrows. T-Dog had turned to the six or so walkers that were to his right; they had heard their not so subtle entering so they seemed to forget about whatever it is that had drew their attention in the first place and turned to the African American who was standing there. T took down three of them while Rick handled the other three.

Then, the whole place went silent.

No moans, no voices, no nothing.

"Addison?" Rick's voice echoed through the room. No one answered. "Addison, are you there? Please, respond."

Still nothing. Soon enough, Daryl's voice joined Rick's, but he was just as lucky. The only thing they heard was T-Dog calling out for them.

"Hey guys... you might want to come over here," he said softly. Though it was way too soft for Rick and Daryl's liking.

The two men exchanged a look before running to where T-Dog was standing, next to a pile of dead bodies.

Their eyes met T's and, moving in spooky synchrony, Rick, Daryl and T-Dog turned their heads to the interior of the cell that was barricaded by the bodies.

Right there, leaning against the wall, was Addison.

For a handful of seconds, the three of them just stood there. Then Rick called out for her and still nothing; it was only then that they noticed she was unconscious ad the three men realized they couldn't waste any more time.

"Let's move this," Rick urged. Bending over, he grabbed one of the walkers by its wrists and pulled at it. "C'mon!"

With a little bit of joint effort, they managed to take the bodies from their way, but there was something else keeping them from getting to Addison. The sheets.

"I got this," Daryl said. He had slung his crossbow over his shoulder and had his hunting knife ready to cut the improvised security system. "Girl's got brains," he mused to himself as he cut the third and last tie.

Rick pushed the jail open and was the first one to enter the cell. Getting down on his knees, he held her head to the side as his fingers instantly went to her neck, searching for her pulse.

Daryl and T-Dog soon joined Rick; their eyes shifting from Rick to Addison then back to the man who had this stern expression as he tried to see if she was alive or not.

While Daryl scanned Addison's body for any visible bites or scratches, T-Dog brushed a strand of her hair that was plastered on the right side of her face. She was covered in thick dark blood and sweat, but it wasn't her appearance that startled T.

"She's cold," he said in a hushed tone.

Daryl didn't know whether that was a good or a bad thing. She wasn't burning, which meant she wasn't bit... but then again coldness could mean something just as bad. For some reason, he found it hard to swallow.

Then, his eyes landed on Rick. The man was too serious, his features were all strict and his eyes were just void of emotions; it all led Daryl to think the worst. But when he heard Rick's voice once again, it was like the weight of the world had just left his shoulders.

"She's alive" was what Rick had said.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, here's _Part 2_ of my notes and I do hope everyone gets to read this:

It is with great sorrow that I inform you all that this story **might** be going on a brief hiatus. Yeah, I know, I suck at everything. But here's the thing: it **MIGHT** be going on a hiatus. It's nothing certain yet, but I'm going on a road trip tomorrow and I don't really know when I'll be able to update. I promise you all that I will try my best to post next weekend (I update on weekends as you all may have noticed by now), but if it doesn't happen, I hope you all can understand my side... I am not giving up on this story so don't worry about that. It's just that I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep with my "schedule".

And I'd like to say a few words to a guest reader that goes by the name of "**Laura**"; thanks a lot for the review! It was really nice to read that you're enjoying this story, and pretty encouraging as well. As for my first language, that would be Portuguese. Your tips, I keep all of those things in mind while writing. I really can relate to everything you said and I feel the same about pretty much everything, so I try to keep all that in mind while writing... I don't always succeed, but I do have all that in mind. Perfect characters are boring as fuck and I like a slow pace. I think the characters need development (especially OCs since they aren't recognizable characters like the ones we see on the show or the comics in case you read them and all) so I tend to go slow and not rush everything. I understand not everyone likes that and it might take a while for everyone to understand a bit more of what I have in mind for my character, but I rather take my time instead of force things to happen. I think it looks better that way. Thanks a lot for the review! It was really nice and pretty encouraging so, feel free to share your thoughts whenever you have anything to say!

Thanks again!


	16. Remembrance of things past

******DISCLAIMER:** THE WALKING DEAD AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. I do not own anything but my OCs and am still working on the plot but, just so you know, I haven't read the comics so, any resemblance to the plot-line from the comics is purely coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

As usual, I'd like to thank everyone for reading this story! I got some outsanding feedback on my last chapter and so many notifications of people following and adding this story to their favorites; it made me feel so humble, so happy and I appreciate that a lot; so much that, despite me being away from home and all, I managed to get back sooner rather than later with an update! _Booyah_ :D

So, thank you everyone, especially those who are reviewing; your thoughts are pretty encouraging and they do make me want to write more and more! Here's a new chapter and I'm looking foward to hearing (more so, reading) what your thoughts are! Hope you enjoy :)

* * *

**XVI.** _Remembrance of things past_

"Thank God, she's alive..."

As soon as he felt the soft beating of Addison's pulse beneath his fingertips, Rick let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Admittedly, when he first saw the young brunette passed out on the floor, he felt his blood running cold in his veins; even though he didn't want to jump to conclusions, it wasn't the most cheerful view of all times: Addison looked even paler than she already was, she was covered in blood and, like T-Dog had pointed out, she was ominously cold. Even his optimistic side was slightly pessimistic about Addison... And when he looked at his two companions, Rick noticed he wasn't the only one. The Deputy Sheriff would have to be blind to not notice how those two simple words changed their features rather drastically. After that awful moment of tension, T-Dog let out a strangled chuckle in relief while Daryl remained his contained self, but Rick noticed the lines on the hunter's features had softened considerably — to Daryl's standards, Rick assumed that should be a clear sign that he'd been just as worried.

"For a moment, I thought we'd have to tell little Blondie that her _auntie_ was gone," T-Dog admitted.

"For a moment, so did I," Rick said.

But, while it was quite the good news that Addison was alive and everything, they couldn't ignore the fact that she was still unresponsive to any stimuli whatsoever. Despite all that talking going on around her, Addison didn't show any signs of reaction; she didn't even flinch when Rick tried to feel her pulse or when T-Dog brushed her hair away from her face.

"But she ain't outta the woods jus' yet," Daryl said, his voice void of emotions as he looked around. The place looked deserted, but the hunter wasn't willing to let his guard down for that was a place they hadn't secured. They didn't know if there were any walkers in the vicinity since they didn't get to check the entire block of cells. "Best get outta here," he said as he turned to look at Rick and T-Dog. "Ain't safe to sit on our asses when we don' know if the place's secure..."

Daryl didn't have to say those final words. Rick and T-Dog were highly alert, paying attention to any disturbances in the peace that would mean trouble. It's been quiet so far, but the three of them knew better than to trust that.

"Daryl's right," Rick said with a short nod. "We gotta go back. Besides, if there's anyone who can help Addison, that would be Hershel."

At the mention of Addison's name, the atmosphere suddenly became heavier again. Moving in synchrony, the three men looked at the limp body on the floor almost as if waiting for her to show any signs of responsiveness at the mention of her name, but once again, there was nothing.

"Alright," Rick added quickly as he took Addison in his arms, bridal style and stood up. "Let's get going then... Daryl."

The hunter didn't need to hear one more word. The moment he saw Rick wrapping an arm around Addison's back, he knew they'd be heading back. However, when her head bobbed about then hung back, he couldn't help but stare at Addison; guilty washed over him as he thought that if he hadn't listened to what that upscale girl had told him, if only he had looked back just one more time, then maybe none of this would have happened...

_Leave it to you to screw everything and everyone... Ya really are a Dixon, ain't ya? _

Daryl mentally kicked himself. He couldn't deny the fact that what that annoying little voice that sounded one hell of a lot like his older brother, Merle, was telling him sounded damn accurate. He had always been the one to screw everything every time, so why would it be different now? Fuck it. Merle must have been right. Again...

But Daryl soon stopped thinking about his older brother and how he was nothing but white trash and whatnot when he heard Rick calling out his name. So maybe he did fuck everything, but he couldn't do that again; not when there were three more lives on the line.

With a short nod, Daryl retrieved his crossbow, loaded it with an arrow and, with his flashlight to illuminate the way, he stepped out of the cell, into the cell block and then, they were all on their way back.

#

"Are they back?" Lori asked in a low tone as soon as she saw Carol walking towards her.

For the past twenty minutes or so, after Carol had come bearing the not so bright news that Rick, Daryl and T-Dog would go back for Addison who hadn't returned, Lori had stayed outside with Analeigh so that the little girl wouldn't see it for herself that the young woman wasn't there...

Carol didn't answer right away; she had acknowledged the edge in Lori's voice and the urgency in her words, but before saying anything, she let her eyes wander to the backseat of the truck, where Analeigh sat rather peacefully with her stuffed wolf which she dearly addressed to as "Mr. Murphy" while she ate what was left of a pack of cookies that she had found in the glove compartment.

"They're back," Carol finally said as she looked back at Lori.

The younger woman breathed out audibly as she brought her hands to her chest, placing them flat open right above her heart. Carol almost smiled at the woman's heartfelt reaction; she knew Lori was hormonal and all, but even if that wasn't the case, she knew that Mrs. Grimes was like that. It had been the same when she saw her husband returning after she believed he was dead and each and every occasion where their nerves were put to test; it was her motherly and protective side speaking and Lori had a lot of that in her.

Carol had that as well, and it was exactly because of that that she couldn't feel as enthusiastic as Lori. Because, unlike the younger woman, Carol knew what was going on. She had seen it when Daryl, T-Dog and Rick returned. She had seen the former Deputy Sheriff carrying an unconscious Addison in his arms. It was quite an ominous view if she was to be honest and, as she watched Rick lay Addison on the bed, she felt her heart becoming smaller and smaller in her chest.

"Auntie Dee-Dee."

The soft angelical voice of Analeigh pulled Carol back to reality and, yet again, she felt her heart aching. The smile that appeared on the toddler's face along with the happiness that she felt just by hearing that they were back almost drove Carol to tears. How would she tell her that her Auntie Dee-Dee wasn't okay?

Lori had noticed the not so enthusiastic reaction of Carol, and while she found it quite strange, it was only when she met the older woman's eyes and saw the distress written all over her face that she felt her enthusiasm drop significantly. And when she heard the soft tone that Carol used to talk to the little girl, Lori had to take a couple of steps back, because even though she wasn't friends with Addison, acquaintances or anything at all, she felt as if she could cry.

"Annie, sweetheart," Carol began as she approached the truck; the little girl was crawling her way towards the open door.

"Dee-Dee is back, Miss Carol."

Carol had to bit on her lower lip and muster all of her strength not to frown or tear up, because the way Analeigh called her "Miss Carol" and how she seemed a lot happier now was fairly overwhelming.

"Yes, she is, honey," Carol said as she stood by the open door, where Analeigh was already trying to get out of the truck's cabin. "But, would you come here for a second, please?"

Analeigh reached out to grab her stuffed wolf that she had left on the driver's seat and, the moment she turned around, she found Carol; the older woman had knelt down and was looking at her intently.

"What happened?" Analeigh asked innocently as she looked into her clear blue eyes. They seemed different...

"Annie—" Carol began, but before she could say anything, Analeigh spoke again.

"Is it Dee-Dee?" She noticed the little girl's was now holding her toy closer to her chest. "Is she okay?"

"Honey, something happened, and— Annie, wait!"

But Analeigh wasn't waiting. The moment she heard that something had happened was the moment her features twisted in pain and she started running. She was thoroughly ignoring Carol and Lori calling out for her, asking — actually, it sounded more like begging — her to stop and wait. Much like the other day, Analeigh ran and ran and she just planned on stopping the moment she saw Addison.

"Auntie Dee-Dee!"

.

Even though Carol and Lori tried to keep up with the five year old, they couldn't. First because they weren't expecting her to bolt so quickly and second because Lori was slightly weak from her morning sickness and it took Carol some time to react and go after Analeigh.

The two of them saw it when Analeigh entered the building and, even though they were just a few steps behind, they started to shout in unison for someone to hold the girl.

Their voices drew everyone's attention instantly and Analeigh didn't take five steps into the cell block when Maggie showed up, blocking her way further inside.

"Woah... Hold on, Annie," Maggie said as she stopped Analeigh by holding the kid by her arms. "What's going on, honey?"

"Dee-Dee... I want to see— Auntie Dee-Dee..."

It broke Maggie's heart to see that the little girl was almost on the verge of tears; even her voice sounded uneven and shaky.

"Alright then," she said softly, brushing a strand of her slightly greasy blonde hair behind her ear. "I'll take you to see your auntie Dee-Dee, but no more running, okay? We don't want you to get hurt... Do we have a deal?"

Maggie noticed the horrified look that Carol addressed her, but she was more concerned with the little girl she had in her arms. Analeigh gave Maggie a short nod and muttered a simple "m'kay".

"Okay," Maggie repeated, offering Analeigh a soft smile. Then, she held one hand flat open in front of Analeigh and asked, "Give me your hand?" When Analeigh held Maggie's hand, the young woman smiled at her and said a gentle, "Thank you, miss."

As she stood up, Maggie could still feel Carol's eyes burning holes in her skull. "There's no way we can hide it from her," she muttered to the older woman before she started strolling towards the cell that they had accommodated Addison.

Maggie knew Carol wouldn't like one bit that Analeigh would see Addison in the state she was, but honestly, what the hell else could they do? The girl was already freaking out; keep hiding things from her didn't seem like the wisest thing to do, especially when she seemed to know something was wrong...

As she approached the small holding cell, Maggie saw Glenn standing right next to the door and called him. His eyes widened when he saw her holding hands with Analeigh.

"She needs to see her," Maggie told him; her tone was soft because of Analeigh, but firm because it was what it was.

Glenn bit on his lower lip as he glanced at the little girl who was looking straight ahead. "Maggie..."

Maggie just addressed him a hard look and quietly said "Glenn" in return. She didn't want to argue, not with Glenn and not with anyone; she just wanted to do what she believed to be right.

But Glenn wasn't taking any of that. He called Beth, who was with her father and asked the younger Greene to watch Analeigh for a second while he pulled Maggie with him to the side.

"What do you think you're doing?!" He asked exasperated; he managed to keep his voice low, but he had to try really hard not to let out a loud shriek.

"I'm thinking," Maggie started. There were hints of annoyance in her tone, but she was being just as quiet. "If by any chance something happens to Addison, then she'll be our responsibility. Would you trust someone who kept things from you?"

Glenn looked away from Maggie and at Analeigh, who was a few feet of distance with Beth. The kid looked completely distraught.

"Hershel said she'll be fine."

"And you are avoiding the question... I'm not saying it'll happen, I'm saying we shouldn't force her to do what we think it's best for her. She has a saying as well."

"She's just a kid," Glenn pleaded.

"And she's been through enough already!" Maggie shifted in her place. "Glenn, look around you. You can't possibly believe that she lived through this hell during the last few months without seeing any of it."

For a few seconds, the couple went mute. Glenn knew Maggie had a strong personality and she was willing to stand her ground, but he wasn't going to agree with that just yet. It didn't seem... right. Sure thing that lately not much seemed right, but...

Finally, Maggie eased her stance. Taking one step closer to Glenn, she took his hands in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Look, I know you think it's insane... I'm not saying it is not, but trust me, there is no easy way out. If she needs to see her then we should let her... After all, before yesterday, they only had each other. I don't think it's right for us to meddle."

That was it. That was the end of the discussion, if it ever was any... Glenn didn't have any words to contest that; it was true. God only know what those two girl had to overcome all this time out there by themselves, and say they didn't find them in that prison, it would still be just Analeigh and Addison, and if anything ever happened to the latter...

After a couple of seconds, Glenn nodded. "You're right," he admitted. But that didn't mean he was happy about that — there was really nothing remotely happy about anything at that moment.

Maggie nodded back at Glenn before the two of them went back to where Beth and Analeigh were...

.

There was a small crowd gathered around the bunk bed where Rick had laid Addison.

Rick, Daryl and T-Dog stood there beside the bed and waited for whatever it was that Hershel had to say; the veterinarian had taken over and was doing the best he could since he didn't have his working material. Glenn, Maggie and Beth were also there; the young Asian was standing by the door while the two Greene sisters assisted her father and helped cleaning Addison so she didn't look like she had just got out of a horror movie. That is until they heard some shouting and some of the crowd dispersed.

"My opinion is that she'll be okay," Hershel said as soon as Maggie walked out. He looked straight at Rick, Daryl and T-Dog; the three men stood there during the few minutes Hershel checked Addison.

"She wasn't bit or scratched so I think it's just exhaustion," he continued, shifting his eyes back to the woman on the bed. "She didn't eat anything last night so that must be it, unless she has some sort of condition that I don't know about. Either way, all we can do right now is wait until she wakes up."

Except for Daryl, they all nodded. Due to personal experience and what he'd seen, he was already expecting for that diagnosis... but maybe he was also expecting that Hershel could do more or there was anything else they all could do but sit and wait. He always hated sitting and waiting...

"And how long until she wakes up?" he heard T-Dog asking and, for some reason, it made Daryl frown.

But he didn't have time to find out why he reacted like that because, at that precise moment, someone cleared their throat somewhere by the door. It was Maggie, but she wasn't alone. First thing that came to Daryl's mind was: _"What the hell?"_

Apparently, he wasn't the only one to think that; Rick and T-Dog also shifted next to him, their eyes glued to the blonde head that was standing right behind Maggie.

"Addison has a visit," Maggie said simply.

"Maggie, I don't think—" Rick was just trying to say that was probably not a good idea when a hand on his shoulder made him stop.

Hershel had stood from the chair beside the bed and, to everyone's surprise, he nodded.

"It's okay," he said calmly, and Maggie stepped inside the small space with the little girl. The place was crowded, but they managed to approach the bed.

They all heard the little whimper that left Analeigh's lips the moment she saw Addison.

"Dee-Dee," Analeigh whispered as she sat on the bed next to Addison. She pouted and her eyes started to sting when she reached for Addison's hand and noticed the lack of reaction.

All of a sudden, it was hard to breathe. The turmoil that took over Analeigh was too much for they all to handle. She was barely holding it together as she sat there, looking longingly at the pale face of the one person she cared about the most, and when a warm tear fell from her eye, it was as if they all could feel her pain and despair.

No one knew what to do or say to ease Analeigh's pain until Hershel stepped in and crouched next to the bed.

"She is gonna be fine," he said softly as he placed his hand above Analeigh's and Addison's. "She just needs to rest..."

Biting on her lip, Analeigh turned her head to the kind man by her side. "Is she hurt?"

"I don't think so, honey... She's probably just tired."

Analeigh averted her eyes so she was looking back at her auntie Dee-Dee and bit on her lip. She didn't know if she believed the old man's kind words or not. "She's not moving," the little girl whispered as she gave Addison's hand a soft squeeze and brought it to her face, pressing the back against her cheek. A couple more tears fell, leaving two glowing tracks on the girl's face and a few wet dots on the mattress.

Maggie then sat in front of Analeigh and placed an open hand on the girl's knee. "Have you ever been so tired that you fell asleep on the couch, but woke up on your bed and didn't remember ever getting there?"

After blinking a couple of times, Analeigh looked at the young woman sitting right in front of her. She didn't have the strength to say anything so she just nodded, silently telling Maggie that she knew what she was talking about.

"That's what happened to Addison," Maggie continued. She brought her hand to the girl's face and gently pushing a strand of her rebellious hair behind her ear and brushing her cheek with her thumb. "She's really, really tired..."

Analeigh closed her eyes for a second. "She wasn't this tired when Uncle Nick was with us," she said in such a low voice that Maggie had to lean over to understand what she'd said.

"I'm really sorry about Uncle Nick, Annie," Maggie said as gently as she could; she had heard about this Nick guy and she had a fairly good idea as to what had happened, even though anyone had said it with all the words.

Then, Little Analeigh and Maggie stopped being the center of attention when strangled sobs came from the door. With the exception of Analeigh who wasn't exactly paying attention to anything but Addison, all heads turned to the door, where they saw Carol and Lori; the two women had joined the rest of the group and were standing there. Now, they were all either inside the small space or hanging around.

"Let's give them some space," Hershel said as he started walking towards the door.

Understanding that Hershel was trying to give the girl some privacy, Rick, Daryl and T-Dog followed the older man out of the place. But, as they reached the door, Daryl addressed one last glance at the trio that stayed there...

.

"You think it's right?" Carol asked as soon as they were a few feet of distance. Her arms were wrapped around her mid-section and she was fidgeting — not to mention frowning. "Annie is just a little girl..."

Hershel looked at the older woman. He understood that Carol was a mother and was just looking up for the little girl, but he also knew better than to buy what she was saying.

"She's just a little girl that had been through a lot more than any other little girls," he said sternly. "Besides, just because they're children, it doesn't mean we get to keep things from them. Kids are stronger than most people think, and I'm willing to bet Analeigh isn't an exception..."

Carol bit on her lower lip. She didn't like that one bit and, judging by the looks that Lori, Glenn and Rick were addressing him, they weren't particularly happy either...

"When Maggie was five years old," Hershel began. They all fixed their eyes on the older man, wanting to hear whatever it was he had to tell them. "Her grandmother fell ill. It was so bad that she couldn't even get out of bed for quite a long time before she passed. Now, Maggie loved her grandmother. So much that she gave up on things like her own birthday party to spend the days with my mom. And then, when she was really sick, we didn't want Maggie to know how bad she was, but it was useless. Maggie was smart and she could tell when we weren't saying everything... then we told her that her granny was getting worse.

"I remember like it was yesterday; we were talking in her bedroom and she sat on the bed and looked me in the eyes and asked _"Is Granny Noreen going to die?"_ I was speechless for a moment. What would I say? The truth would break her heart and if I lied, it'd do just the same... so I choose to tell her the truth and I said that there was a big possibility for that to happen. The next day, I woke up with Maggie by my side, shaking me. She wanted me to take her to see her grandmother.

"I'm not proud to admit it, but Josephine and I tried to talk her out of that; just like you, we didn't think she was old enough to deal with that... but Maggie can be very persuasive; she said she needed to be with her and we ended up taking her to my brother's house for her to be with her Granny.

"My mother was barely holding, but as soon as she saw her granddaughter, her face lit up and so did Mag's. It was beautiful. Something that I will never forget. And Maggie stayed there with her the entire day...

"My mom died three days later, but Maggie handled that fairly well. Sure she cried and grieved a lot, but she dealt with the whole thing better than we were expecting. A couple of months later, on my mother's birthday, Maggie came to me and said she had made a card for her grandmother and asked if we couldn't take it to where she was staying now. We all went to the cemetery and she sat by my mother's grave and talked to it. She said she was sad that she wasn't there, but was happy that she was in a better place, not suffering anymore... I was right behind her and I cried. I heard the whole thing and I couldn't help but cry. And when Maggie turned and saw me, she said "it's okay, dad. Granny is okay. We'll all be okay"... So, when I say kids are stronger than we think, I am not just saying it. Because, at the age of six, Maggie was damn strong. And that day at the cemetery, I'm not ashamed to say she was stronger than I was. Now, I'm not saying Addison's going to die or anything like that. I'm saying we need to give Annie more credit and let her be with the person she loves. It won't scar her to life, on the other hand... She probably needs that, especially now, and I'm sure Addison needs that as well. We all do."

No one said anything after Hershel finished. They all just stood there, taking in what Hershel had said, especially those last few words.

#

Maggie sat there with Analeigh for what seemed to be hours. At first, the two of them talked; the little girl told Maggie some stories about what they've been through so far. How Addison and Nick found her when she was hiding from the bad people and waiting for her mommy to come back to the small cottage they had taken shelter in (her mommy never came back and she agreed to go with Nick and Addison and look for her mom); how they found other people and stayed with them for some time, while Nick got better from some injury; how they found a lost puppy once, but they couldn't keep him because they didn't have a house for him to be safe... Maggie heard quite a lot about the two girls and Nick and she even felt bad for doubting their intentions when she first saw Addison. Sure there was no way for her to know all that when they first met, but now Maggie found herself nursing great respect for the other brunette.

Her eyes wandered to Addison and Maggie couldn't help but notice she was probably her age and had been through one hell of a lot. She did as well, but for a long time, Maggie remained rather sheltered from the madness that it was out of the farm — Addison and Analeigh didn't. They were out there, fending for their lives... Everything they've been through during the past few months, Addison had only recently experienced, and it was pretty damn scary.

Then, after a while, silence settled. They didn't know what else to say; time was passing slowly but, at the same time, it was too fast. Seconds stretched into minutes that were soon turning into an hour and still, nothing changed.

At some point, Analeigh lie down next to Addison and fell asleep. But even then, Maggie didn't leave. She decided to stay and watch over the two girls; in case something happened, they wouldn't be alone...

Maggie was almost falling asleep herself when she saw Glenn showing up by the door.

"Hey," he greeted quietly. He'd noticed Analeigh asleep next to Addison and didn't want to disturb her.

"Hey," Maggie replied just as quietly and offered the young Asian a smile.

"How are they doing?" he asked as he crossed the space and stood next to Maggie.

"Could be better, but they're okay," she replied sliding and arm around Glenn's waist and resting her head against his left hip.

"And how are _you_ doing?" Glenn questioned as he wrapped an arm around Maggie's shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze.

After hearing Hershel telling what Maggie went through when she was just a kid, Glenn found himself loving that brave young woman more and more, and missing her company just as much. Hershel was right; they needed to be with the ones they loved, now more than ever.

"I'm all right," Maggie replied blankly as she held onto Glenn.

For a handful of seconds, they both stood there, watching as Analeigh curled up onto Addison's body, holding onto her hand for dear life. It was odd how twenty four hours ago they were nothing but strangers, each one keeping an eye on the other and now... now they were all waiting, some even praying for Addison to wake up.

"Carol and Lori made lunch," Glenn told Maggie after a while. That was practically the main reason why he'd gone there in the first place, but, as he got there, it seemed less important.

"I'm not hungry," Maggie said, but Glenn didn't like hearing that.

Pulling away from Maggie's hold, the young Asian crouched next to her and placed both his hands on her knees.

"Don't," he said seriously. "You have to eat something... I mean, you know you need it. Please."

The idea of retorting occurred to Maggie — not even her father tried to tell her what she _had_ to do — but as she saw the concern written all over Glenn's face and how it was mixed with worry, she decided to not say anything. Glenn was right, and now they had Addison as a damn painful reminder that they couldn't slip.

Bringing her hands to his face, Maggie cupped Glenn's cheeks and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

Glenn had to fight back the urge to wrap his arms around Maggie and pull her to him, making the space between them vanish in a heart beat... He wanted nothing more than to hold Maggie in his arms and be with her, but that wasn't the place for that, or the time since he could tell Maggie was in her big sister mode right now.

"Okay then," she said as she pulled away from him. "Would you, please, bring me something? And for Annie as well? The little girl needs to eat too."

A small smile played with the corner of Glenn's lips. Never in his life had he dreamed about having kids, but as he watched Maggie with the little girl and how she cared about her, he found himself thinking that, if things were different, if the world wasn't this different, he wouldn't mind having a family with Maggie Greene — in fact, he would love that.

"Alright," he said kindly and, after stealing a quick kiss, Glenn stood up and headed back to go get lunch for Maggie and Annie; he even fixed a third plate in case Addison woke up...

#

_Addison found herself in a dark place._

_How exactly she got there, she had no idea, just like she had no clue as to where she was or what surrounded her. Whenever she turned her head, she could see nothing but the oppressive darkness._

_"Hello!" She yelled at the top of her lungs but got nothing in response. Well, nothing but her own voice yelling right back at her._

_"Is anyone there?" She tried once again. Still no luck. "HELLO!"_

_For a handful of seconds, she kept hearing the echoes of her own loud words resonating in her ears. Her head started to hurt and Addison decided that yelling was not a good idea..._

_Shutting her eyes closed, she pinched the bridge of her nose in a vain attempt to distract herself from her pounding head._

_"Goddammit, where the hell am I?" She bitterly thought to herself as she tried to get up. Somehow, she hadn't noticed she was sitting until that exact same moment._

_Addison decided that, if she wanted to find the answer for that question, she'd have to go after it. But that was one of those things that it was easier said than done; as she stood up, Addison had to open her arms, bend her knees and use her best to keep her balance and not fall on her ass._

_"What the hell..."_

_Frowning inwardly and outwardly, Addison managed to stand still and she risked one step. When she didn't stumble, Addison stopped frowning and tried to take another step. And then another. And another, until she was safely wandering through the darkness._

_It took her a while, but her eyes began to adjust to the lack of light and after a minute or so, she could tell she was in what seemed to be a long corridor, with closed doors on both sides._

_"That's odd," she whispered to herself as she stopped and let her eyes examine the place better. "I've never been here before... How on Earth I got here?"_

_But the answer to that question was unknown. In fact, she didn't remember anything but her name and where she was from. Everything else was nothing but a blur._

_"Am I high?" She thought to herself, but soon dismissed that. She had never done drugs and she didn't feel like she was high... not even slightly tipsy due to alcohol poisoning, which was the farthest she had ever gone; she had never been drunk._

_Once again, Addison frowned. "How exactly I remember _that_ and not anything else?"_

_She resumed her walking, not willing to waste too much time on question that weren't exactly important... or didn't seem to be important, since she couldn't know for sure._

_Addison was just passing by one of the many doors that the corridor had when something made her stop dead on her tracks. She didn't know why or how, but something drew her attention to one of the doors._

_Turning on her heels, Addison found herself staring at a big heavy looking door. Instinctively, she reached out and let her fingers graze its surface._

_"Mahogany," she mused to herself. There was something oddly familiar about that door, but she had no idea why... Just like she had no idea how she knew it was mahogany._

_Then, her fingertips found a soft depression on the surface and, acting on her instinct, she followed it. It seemed to be some sort of drawing, like someone drew some random lines on that door._

_Addison closed her eyes as she traced the lines with the middle finger of her right hand. The lines would go up and down and to both sides, forming some intricate pattern. She inhaled deeply and tried to visualize what she was feeling. The drawing didn't seem to have a beginning or an end, it just kept going and going and..._

_"Mom's Celtic knot."_

_Addison opened her eyes and there it was: the dark brown door that she had grew used to seeing every day with the Celtic endless knot that her mother had engraved on every single door of their house almost glowing in the dark. A dim silver light was practically making the design come to life before her eyes. Without even thinking, Addison reached for the handle and pulled the door open._

_For a moment, she couldn't see anymore. The brightness of the adjacent room blinded her for a few seconds and she raised her hand to shield her eyes that had grown accustomed to the complete darkness._

_The first thing that she noticed was the noises. In contrast to the quietness of the corridor, it seemed as if someone was throwing a party in that room, even though she hadn't heard one single voice when she was standing on the other side._

_"How the hell is this possible?!" she thought to herself, but just like every other questions that she could concoct, she was left with no answers whatsoever._

_After a couple of seconds, Addison finally moved, slowly crossing the door frame and entering the bright room. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to this kind of illumination._

_Looking around, Addison realized she was right about her first assumption; someone was indeed throwing a party — and a pretty fancy one for that matter. She saw faces that she didn't recognize and, after a moment, it seemed as if they were all looking at her._

_"Did someone drug me and I didn't notice?" she wondered as she strolled through the crowd. "Because this is completely messed up..."_

_There were people calling her name and saying things she couldn't really understand so, out of politeness, she just smiled at everyone as she tried to walk out that place. For a split second, she considered going back to the quietness of the dark corridor, but as she turned around, someone was standing there, blocking her way._

_"Excuse me," she said softly. She just wanted to get back to the damned door but then, all of a sudden, she stopped._

_Addison blinked a couple of times just to be sure she was dreaming. She thought, if she blinked, the dark haired man before her would just disappear, as fast as he got there in the first place... He didn't._

_"It can't be," she whispered as her eyes found his. They were of the most dazzling and warm shade of hazel that she had ever seen. Ever._

_The owner of the hazel eyes flashed her a pearly white smile and opened his arms._

_"Hi there, princess."_

_His silky voice reached her ears and Addison couldn't help herself. She closed the space between them with one step and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face on the crook of his neck._

_"Gabe..."_

_The man laughed soundly as he wrapped both arms around her waist and rested his head against the side of hers._

_"Hello, baby girl," he said softly on her ear as they stood there, lost in their embrace. _

_After a moment, Addison felt him pulling away and, even though she thoroughly disliked it, she loosened the hug. She noticed a few stains on his royal blue dress shirt and it was only then that she realized she'd been crying._

_"Gabe, how..." Addison brushed her tears away with her free hand; the other was firmly holding onto Gabriel's left hand._

_"You didn't think I'd miss my little sister's birthday, did you?"_

_Addison frowned inwardly._ Birthday?_ Her birthday was like five months ago. What the hell was he talking about?_

_"But..."_

_"I know, I told you I wouldn't make it, and I really thought..."_

_He was still talking, but Addison wasn't listening anymore. Taking a tiny step back, she let her eyes take in the full figure of Gabriel. He was just like she remembered him. Tall, short black hair, handsome features, gorgeous white smile, light complex... He seemed to be in his early twenties, although she knew he should be older. There was a five year difference between them. Five years._

_"But my exams finished and I knew I had decent grades, so I called mom and..."_

_Addison tilted her head to the left and studied his wardrobe. He was wearing royal blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a pair of black jeans and matching black shoes. Yet again, Addison frowned._

_It wasn't like Gabriel to dress casually when the occasion asked for formal, and last time she checked, she had seen tuxedos all over the place._

_Then, something inside her clicked. Addison didn't know what that was, but she started to feel fidgety, as if something was wrong... So very wrong. She looked around, but they were still at the same place._

_"Addie."_

_"What?" She said flatly as she fixed her eyes on her brother once again._

_"You didn't like it," he said sadly._

_Addison felt like kicking herself. She had been ignoring her brother and she hated to see him like that. He was sad and it was her fault; she hurt him._

_"I didn't like what?"_

_"Me coming back... I just thought—"_

_"What?! No! No, no. I liked it. I loved it to be honest, Gabe, I really did... It's just—"_

_"I shouldn't have lied," he said softly. "I just wanted to make it a surprise."_

_"Gabe, I loved you coming here. I promise. I never thought I'd stand a chance against Yale, which..."_

_But Addison didn't finish that sentence. It was only then that she realized what was wrong: **Everything**._

_Looking around, the ball room was gone, the over the top illumination was gone, the strangers were all gone... It was just her and Gabriel and they were standing on the sidewalk of some dark street._

_"No," Addison muttered looking around. "Nonono..."_

_"Addie?"_

_She was panicking when she looked at her brother._

_"No. God, no."_

_"Addie, what's wrong?"_

Not again,_ she begged in her head and she tightened the hold around Gabriel's hand and started to drag him along with her. _Please, please, please, not Gabe... **Please.**

_But then she heard something that made her stop dead on her tracks. A loud deafening noise came from somewhere behind her and it made her blood run cold in her veins. There was another explosion and another and another._

_By the time they stopped, Addison couldn't breathe, see or even move. She was rooted to the spot. But, when she heard the soft murmur that she knew oh too well, she forced herself to turn around._

_It was as if time had slowed down and gravity had increased. Each and every move she made or thought of making was slow. And it wouldn't matter the fact that Addison was in a hurry and wanted to move as fast as she could, her body wouldn't obey._

_When she finally turned back, Addison found herself facing the worst of her nightmares. Her brother, her beloved brother was on the ground and his once royal blue dress shirt was quickly acquiring a darker tone._

_Dropping to her knees, Addison pulled Gabriel's body to her lap. She felt something wetting her hand and legs as she held him closer and she nearly passed out when she realized it was blood. Gabriel's blood. He'd been shot._

_"No... Oh God, no... Plea— Please, Gabe. Stay with me. Please..."_

_"I lo... I love y-you, Ad..."_

_Gabriel's voice was nothing but a weak and low whisper and she could practically feel the pain it was causing him to just try to talk._

_"Shhhh," she ordered him to stop talking. "Don't do that, Gabriel. Don't you dare doing this to me..."_

_Gabriel coughed and blood tinged his lips red. "Addie..."_

_"No. You don't get to do this," she said stubbornly, trying to bite back the sobs and tears that were threatening to rip through her body. She couldn't lose her grip; Gabriel needed her. "You don't get to die on me, Gabe..." _Not again,_ she added bitterly in her head._

_"Te- tell mom 'n dad... I love them... don' forget Skywalker." Gabriel chuckled when he mentioned their older brother's not-so-original nickname. If it wasn't for the tragedy that was unfolding before her eyes, Addison would have indulged a smile as well. "I l- I love... ya'll... so m- so much..."_

_At that moment, Addison couldn't hold back her tears anymore and she was crying like a baby. "Please, Gabriel... Please, stay with me. Please..."_

_But all of her prayers were in vain. She felt her brother's heart stop beating right beneath her hands and when he closed his eyes, she broke down. Holding onto her brother's body, Addison cried until it hurt and then some. It was too painful. It would always be too painful..._

_Addison thought was verging on unconsciousness; she thought she was finally shutting down and was more than ready to take the swan dive into the inviting dark abyss of nothing, where she wouldn't feel pain anymore, or sadness, or anything at all when she felt the body in her arms twitch._

_"Gabe...?"_

_Blinking the tears that were clouding her view, Addison looked expectantly at her brother's body... but it was no longer Gabriel who she was holding onto._

_In fact, she wasn't in that dark street anymore. Instead, she was locked in some kind of hut with a kid in her arms and someone else was holding the door shut._

_"Addie, you gotta go!"_

_She squinted as she stared at the man; blonde hair, green eyes, deep voice... "Nick?"_

_"You gotta take Annie out of here!"_

_"Who?" She asked frowning, but when the blonde child whimpered, Addison figured she should be Annie, even though she could not recognize her._

_Helping the unknown little girl to her feet and placing her hands over her ears, Addison shouted to her best friend who was right across the small place. "Nick, how the hell did you get here? Where the fuck are we?!"_

_But he didn't seem to be hearing anything she was saying. Instead, he just kept telling her to get out._

_"I'm not going anywhere without you!"_

_"You have to go, Addison! Otherwise we won't make it. None of us."_

_Addison thought if she frowned just a little bit more, she would keep that frowny face for the rest of her life._

_"What the hell are you talking about?!"_

_"Addie, just go! Now! Annie needs you... GO!"_

_She had just opened her mouth to protest when a hand closed around her arm. She turned her head so fast to her right that she could only wonder how she hadn't broken her neck._

_Then, much to her surprise, she found herself facing an older man with a pair of piercing blue eyes and dark brown hair. A pair of wings spread open behind her._

What the...

_"C'mon," she heard him say, but she couldn't go. There was something familiar about his eyes and features, even those wings, but she refused to leave._

_"Nick!" She yelled at her best friend, but he just smiled at her and she could read his lips as he mouthed the word "go"._

_"No! Nick!"_

_Addison heard the winged man with blue eyes calling her name again and again, but she ignored him. She wasn't going anywhere without her best friend; she had already lost her brother for crying out loud! However, the blue eyed man was stronger than her and he managed to pull her away. Away from Nick. Away from the ground. Away from all that madness._

_"No," she whimpered, still struggling to free herself from his tight grip._

_"C'mon, Addison..."_

_"Let... me... go," she cried as she tried to pry his finger open. "Let. Me. Go!"_

_After fighting with the man for a handful of seconds that felt longer, Addison finally freed herself from his hold. But she regretted doing so almost instantly. She hadn't noticed they were flying... until she found herself on free fall._

_Her eyes widened as she quickly approached the hard ground. When she was just a few seconds away from her inevitable end, Addison shut her eyes closed... but the impact never came._

_"Addison!"_

_She heard her name and felt her body shake in a rather violently manner and she snapped her eyes open._


	17. Haunted

******DISCLAIMER:** THE WALKING DEAD AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. I do not own anything but my OCs and am still working on the plot but, just so you know, I haven't read the comics so, any resemblance to the plot-line from the comics is purely coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

As always, thank you all so, so much! All the notifications I received this last week was amazing, so thank you very much!

Here's a new chapter and, because it's almost Christmas and because I very much appreciate all of you for reading this, I made this chapter long :D hope you all enjoy it! And let me know what you think, yes?

_I know it's still early, but_** Merry Christmas everyone!**

* * *

**XVII.** _Haunted_

Disorientation didn't begin to cover the huge spectrum of emotions Addison was feeling as she woke up.

Her eyes frantically scanned her surroundings; searching for something she didn't know exactly what... She was panting rather loudly, though she couldn't hear herself because of the pounding in her ears — her heart rate was out of control, much like her entire being.

Needless to say things didn't get any better when she finally took notice of the strong pair of hands that were holding her wrists.

"Let go of me," she hissed through gritted teeth as she struggled to free herself, just like she did in her dream.

She hadn't really seen who the person was but she figured, judging by their strength, it should be a man. That thought made her feel even less cheerful... "Let go of me!"

Addison's mind was clouded with both fear and rage and she was completely unaware of anything right now. However, in some corner of her agitated mind, she heard someone calling out her name.

It was really low at first and, for a moment she thought she had just imagined it... But then, as she kept squirming and fighting, she noticed it getting louder and louder and being followed by the words "look at me".

The male voice sounded familiar and he even knew her name so, despite the terror that was making her sweat cold, she forced herself to open her eyes.

First thing she noticed was his eyes. The man who was looking intently at her had expressive blue eyes.

"Easy now," she heard him say, and it was only then that her eyes took in the man's overall appearance. She knew him.

Relief washed over Addison as she finally allowed herself to stop struggling; her muscles started to relax and she felt her tired body sink down on the soft surface she was lying on. Her eyelid fluttered closer and she coached herself to breath slowly.

The moment she stopped fighting was also the moment the pressure on her arms loosened up and, a few seconds later, it was gone. Addison knew she'd be wearing the spoils of her frantic fit for the next week, but she didn't mind that one bit; it was best to be bruised instead of dead, or God know what else.

Maybe he knew that as well, for the next words Addison heard him say were: "Sorry about that..."

Taking a long, deep breath, she turned her head so she was looking at him.

"It's fine," she said, a ghost of a smile crossed her face for a couple of seconds. His furrowed brows and how he was rubbing his left wrist made her feel guilty. "Did I hurt you?"

Much to her surprise, the right corner of his lips perked up as a half smile eased the seriousness of his expression. He seemed rather amused as he shook his head. "Nope."

Addison didn't really know where that had come from, but she let out a humorous chuckle. She was the one with sore wrists and she asked if he was hurt. Maybe she hit her head somewhere and because that sounded really idiotic...

But idiotic or not, now that the adrenaline had significantly decreased in her system, she took notice of the place she was: not the last place she remembered being, that's for sure. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"How did I get here?"

"Daryl, T and I took you back," Rick explained softly, though Addison could sense the subtle remaining of concern in his voice.

For a few seconds, Addison didn't say anything. She bit on her lip and fixed her eyes on the bottom of the bed above her before shutting them close. In all honesty, she didn't know what to feel; sure she was grateful for what they had done, of course she was. God only knows what would've happened if she stayed in that walker infested hole... but she couldn't help but feel bad. A group of men put their life on the line because of her.

The entire time she had spent with that group, not one single moment she didn't notice their protectiveness towards each other. It was quite obvious for her that, if anything happened to anyone, they would all combine their efforts and try to help. But her? Why would they try to help _her_?

"I... I don't understand..."

"Well," Rick began and Addison opened her eyes again, but didn't face him. "We all came back; Maggie, Glenn, T-Dog, Daryl and I... but you didn't. And, after a while, we started to worry..."

_Did he just say they started to worry? _Addison blinked a couple of times, but still didn't meet his eyes, which were staring at her serious profile.

"Why did you go the other way?" Rick asked when it was clear enough that Addison wasn't saying anything. "I mean, you were heading the right direction, but..."

"Couldn't bring the walkers into this place," she answered faintly; she was still processing what he'd said.

Rick frowned. He'd been correct in assuming she had willingly drew the walkers away from their safe cell block, but that didn't mean he was less surprised when she told him those words.

"But why?" he questioned. "Why would you try and take them all by yourself? We could have helped..."

"Truthfully? I didn't think about that," Addison said as she shifted on the bunk bed and tried pushed her tired body up so she could sit.

Noticing her painful expression, Rick reached out and assisted her. "Thanks," she said with a small smile. Her entire body hurt like a bitch but she didn't whine. She pulled some faces and inhaled sharply, but not one word of complaint escaped her lips.

"I didn't... think much to be fairly honest," she continued when she straightened up and felt the muscles of her back stretch rather painfully.

"I guess we can all agree to that," Rick replied.

Addison had been feeling her ribs, looking for any broken bones or anything that would explain the pain when she heard those words. She chuckled in amusement but winced as a sharp pain shot through her body, starting from somewhere beneath her right shoulder blade. Fragments of a repressed memory flashed before her eyes and she gasped.

"I guess so," she said quickly, trying to conceal the sudden distress that had taken hold of her body and soul. Apparently it worked.

"Take it easy," Rick told her as he leaned forward a little. When Addison looked up at him, she noticed hints of concern swimming in his ocean blue eyes. "Hershel said you pushed too hard, collapsed from exhaustion... Maybe you should lay back."

His concern over her well-being touched Addison and she was at a loss for words. It's been a damn long time since she had crossed paths with someone so kind, so gentle... so human.

"I appreciate your concern," she said kindly, "but I'd rather not. I'm starting to feel claustrophobic in this place... and cold," she added while rubbing her hands on her bare arms.

It was only then that Addison noticed someone had taken off her jacket and she was left with her tank top which, by the way, was dreadful. It would never be the same and the only way to get rid of all that dry gore and grime was to set it on fire.

At the thought of her shirt, Addison brought a hand to her face and let her fingers assess her skin until she reached her damp hair. A smile almost crossed her face as she noticed she wasn't covered in walker's fluids anymore. Instead, she had cold sweat covering her skin.

Looking around, Addison soon found what she was looking for: her heavy trench coat was lying unfolded, placed at the end of the bed. She was feeling warmer at the moment her fingers grazed its fabric.

"Where's everyone?" Addison asked Rick as she put on her coat. It was a question that had been coming to her mind every now and again, ever since she came to her senses. She hadn't seen anyone but Rick; not even Analeigh, which felt weird. The place was strangely silent...

"They're outside," he told her while standing from the chair he'd been sitting. "Having dinner, I suppose..."

There were hints of uneasiness in Rick's behavior that, even though it seemed as if he wanted to keep hidden, Addison was able to see... The sudden change in his attitude made her frown inwardly and the one question that came to her mind the other night returned to assault her thoughts along with a new one: how could such strong group be so weak? Well, weak wouldn't be the most appropriate word. They worked marvelously when facing threats but when it came down to facing each other, things got... strange. What could have possibly happened to do such thing?

Addison still had no clue, and she doubted she would ever know if she didn't ask, and that option was off the charts. So, since it was a useless thing to think about, she decided to just push it all aside once more and focus on the other thing that Rick's words made her think of.

"Dinner?" Addison stood to her feet and waited to see if the world would start to spin around. When it didn't, she tucked her hands into the front pockets of her coat and risked one tiny and careful step forward. "How long was I out?"

Rick stood next to Addison, in case she faltered or stumbled, and walked by her side when none of those things happened. It was refreshing and rather comforting to have someone to talk to that wouldn't look at him with scold. Someone other than Daryl, for the hunter seemed to be the only one who had been able to put everything that had happened to them behind and leave it there... As for everyone else, even though he could see they were trying really hard not to keep bringing those things up, Rick could tell they were behaving differently around him.

Did Rick blame them? Not really. He wasn't an idiot and knew his outburst must have sounded rather harsh. But he expected more of those people. After everything they've been through... After everything he did for them and their safety...

As selfish as it could sound, Rick expected a little bit more of them all. Comprehension, mostly. After all, he hadn't done anything on a whim. He hadn't wanted to do wrong and Shane?! Shane had essentially forced him to do what he did. He had never meant to do wrong and he was so tired of thinking he had done just that...

And after the other night where he got to spend some time with Addison and get to know her a bit better, Rick realized how good it felt to have someone not looking at him like he was some sort of crazy person. It was renewing. It was _humanizing_.

"About twelve hours," he answered her question as they stepped out of the jail cell and into the open space right in front of it.

She hadn't taken more than two steps when Addison stopped dead on her tracks and stared at Rick with wide eyes. "Twelve hours?!"

"Give or take," he said with a shrug. He tried to keep his amusement only to himself, but the sight of Addison with her mouth half open and wide eyes was something else, and he hadn't have many reasons to genuinely smile over the past few days.

"Someone should've woke me up earlier," Addison spoke slightly bitterly as they resumed their walking again.

"Hershel said we should wait for you to wake up," said Rick calmly.

"Still," Addison muttered as they approached the door that'd grant access to the patio.

In all honesty, Addison knew Hershel was probably right. She knew she hadn't been resting properly for the past week or so (and that was just the tip of the iceberg), but she couldn't help but feel a bit mad. Not at Hershel for telling everyone she had to sleep, not at all. She was just mad. As irrational as it sounded, she was upset at herself for passing out that long, and even more for that dream.

Now that she was awake, Addison didn't remember the entire thing. It had been too weird and there were bits and pieces that she just couldn't remember at all... But the two things that she'd been trying to avoid the most had been there. Haunting her. Making her feel the worst creature on Earth — and yes, she was counting the Walkers from the depths of hell.

Wrapping her arms around her body, Addison tried to think of something else for her thoughts were quickly becoming way too grim for her liking...

She and Rick walked out of the building and, as the Georgia's night wind embraced them with their slim and damn long cold arms, Addison called Rick's name.

He stopped on his tracks and turned to his left, where Addison had been but he didn't find her there; it was only when he looked over his shoulder that he saw her, standing a couple of steps behind him.

"Thank you," Addison muttered to him as he turned to face her.

Her words surprised him and he took one tiny step towards her.

"What are you thanking me for?" he asked, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"Not killing me when we first "met"," she said softly while brushing a strand of hair that was brushing her nose and obstructing her view. It occurred to Addison that she never thanked Rick for all the things he did for her and Analeigh. "Not killing me later when we were making this cell block safe. Not throwing me and Annie out right away. Not trying to harm us. Letting us stay for the night, giving us a chance when you didn't have to... but, most of all, thank you for assembling a group of people and going back... For saving my life."

Rick heard Addison's words in complete and utter silence and, when she finished, he was left speechless. He didn't know what to say or do. Did he do what she said? Yes. But it wasn't like he had ever considered doing things any differently. She was a human being with a child, whatever other ways for him to deal with that were just not an option in the first place.

"It was the least I could do," he said, shifting his weight on his legs.

"The least you could do is one hell of a lot more than what I've seen until now."

"You also did a lot for us," Rick told her; his demeanors shifting to a friendly one. "I didn't say it before, but I really appreciate everything you shared with us. Weapons, ammunition... food. Last place we've been got overrun and we had to leave in a hurry; didn't have the chance to gather supplies or anything, so... Thank you."

Addison found herself smiling at his sincere words. She never had any problems being alone, but she had to admit: she was really glad that she had found that particular group of people; they made her feel as if things weren't completely lost, that surviving was not that hard, and that there was still something to fight for.

"Looks like dinner is served," Rick said, parting Addison from her thoughts. "Shall we?"

She looked at the small group that was sitting around a small fire and nodded before following Rick as they walked to join everyone else.

#

Sitting slightly afar from the group was Daryl Dixon.

The hunter choose to keep some distance from the group not because he didn't want to be close to them; he had grown accustomed to those people and he didn't really mind their presence around them; he choose that spot because he had a better view of his surroundings, of the people sitting near the fire and the entrance of the cell block as well.

Throughout the day, there was always someone sitting by the bunk bed where Addison lay unconscious. Hershel said she was asleep but, quite frankly, Daryl wasn't so sure about that... She seemed to be completely out.

In his early days, Daryl had lost count of how many times he saw his old man or even Merle passed out after drinking their weight in cheap booze. They wouldn't wake up for nothing in the world, but they didn't lie still like a stone either... Sure that was a rather lousy comparison to what was happening since there was no alcohol involved and Addison was the complete opposite of her father and Merle — not just gender matter, but other things as well —, but Daryl didn't think she was supposed to be that way.

If he didn't see her chest moving up and down, he would have assumed she had died.

At some point around two or three in the afternoon, Daryl decided to see for himself what the hell was going on. It's been a damn long time and nothing... something seemed off.

"How's she doin'?" he asked Hershel, who was sitting there with Carol. The two of them had been checking on her every hour, sometimes less.

"Same old," the older woman replied faintly. There were hints of sadness swimming in Carol's eyes, but Daryl tried to pay no mind to that; he knew Carol was quite sensitive and she had developed some kind of bond with Addison and that little blonde so it was understandable that she'd get affected by that.

Just because Daryl understood that, it didn't mean that it wouldn't bother him. He was accustomed with living in a group — that group —, but that didn't change the fact that he still got uncomfortable when things came down to emotions, feelings, stuff like that... Those were things that made him feel uneasy for he didn't know how to handle it. So much that just by seeing Carol's emotions seeping through her voice and displayed in her eyes, Daryl shifted awkwardly.

"What? No changes?" He was now talking to Hershel.

The old man knew Daryl was addressing him and he just shook his head. It wouldn't matter what he would say, it wouldn't change the fact that no, there had been no significant changes...

"Don'tcha think she slipped into a coma or somethin'?"

Judging by the looks he received, either they were surprised with the fact that Daryl knew anything about someone slipping into a coma or they had been ignoring that possibility; whichever would that be, it only made Daryl want to roll his eyes at the two of them. And that urge grew bigger when Carol sucked in the air and brought a hand to her mouth.

Seriously? Didn't she know that that kind of shit happened to people regardless of the fucking apocalypse? But, out of the slim sensibility he had developed, he decided to let that slide... It wouldn't do any good to make things worse than they already were.

"Since I'm a vet and not a doctor, I can't tell for sure," Hershel finally spoke, voicing the ugly truth, "but I don't think that would be the case," he added as he looked at Carol, who was gazing at Addison. "I've never heard of anyone going into a coma due to exhaustion..."

Daryl bit on his lower lip and, after a moment assessing the situation, turned around and headed outside. There was nothing he could do in that cell unit, might as well make himself useful.

Just outside, T and Glenn dragging the deceased walkers far away so they could burn them all. Daryl helped the two men and, after a damn long time carrying a bunch of rotten carcasses away, they managed to clean the patio. Then, they were left with the interior of the prison; they had emptied the cell block the day before so by interior they meant the corridors, bathroom, cafeteria...

When T and Glenn asked for a small break, Daryl frowned. Now that he had nothing to do and keep his mind busy, he couldn't ignore that something was bothering him to the point of leaving him restless.

"Must be the livin' hell we've been goin' through," he thought to himself. Because, if someone was to make a list of all the shit they've been through during the last week, then they would have a shitload of crap. In all honesty, they all had to endure more drama than any soap operas, movies, TV shows and country songs put together. No one would blame anyone if they started to lose their shit.

But, what frustrated Daryl the most was that he was used to that. After over thirty years dealing with all sorts of shit people bitched about and then some, Daryl's skin had grew thicker, so it didn't make any sense that it was getting to him now...

It was almost as he could hear Merle's voice again; saying how he wasn't a man, how he didn't have no balls, how he was a pussy... he could even hear him calling him "_Darylena_".

Daryl grunted some unintelligible words along with a handful of foul words. Then, wrapping his calloused hand around the strap of his crossbow, the hunter walked up to Rick, who had just left the guard tower and told him he was going out to do some reconnaissance and maybe some hunting.

.

Being out in the woods helped Daryl clearing his mind.

He was really glad for the prison, its fences, thick concrete walls and the whole nine yards, but he didn't thoroughly enjoy being caged. Because, despite everything, whenever he entered the building and looked at those cell units, he felt like he was locked, even though he wasn't - not really.

Unlike his older brother, Daryl had never done time in any sorts of correctional facilities or anything like that. Did he spend some nights in jail for starting a fight at a bar? Hells yeah, but he never did anything that would grant him a long time behind bars. With some struggle, he had managed to stay away from that and, mind you, the world goes to shit and that's the one place he ends up in.

Maybe that's it, Daryl mused as he made his way back to the same place he's thinking about. Maybe his problem had been the prison and the bars and everything about the Correctional Facility since he gets really annoyed when he's in there.

And, to prove him right, the irritating sense of uneasiness reached Daryl the moment he stepped into the patio.

"Got some squirrels," he announced.

Carol, Lori and Beth were gathered next to a small fire, working on some cans of food that they had managed to find earlier today and looked up at the hunter and the three small rodents he had in a string.

"Ain't much, but at least it's meat," he said and the three women smiled weakly at him out of courtesy. But Daryl didn't see that; he was too busy looking around to take notice of their forced smiles.

"Where's Rick?" he asked when he finished searching the place and didn't find the former Deputy Sheriff anywhere.

"He's inside," Carol told him.

Daryl noticed the monotone tone Carol used and part of him knew why she was talking like that. But the other part of him seemed as if it needed to hear, for the next words that left his mouth formed the question: "Doin' what?"

It was Lori who answered. "Sitting with Addison."

Inadvertently, his eyes darted to the young teenage girl that was next to Carol. Daryl noticed the way she swallowed hard and didn't really look him in the eyes when she added in a low voice that was almost a whisper. "She's still unconscious..."

Never in his life, Daryl Dixon had gutted, skinned and cleaned a squirrel as neatly, perfectly and with such dedication as he did with those three as he sat away from the group and worked alone. Much to his surprise, his mind was empty.

.

Daryl had just taken a plastic bowl from Carol's hand when he noticed movements inside the cell block. He turned to look at that very same direction and, for a split second, he thought his mind was playing tricks on him and he was seeing things.

He watched when someone stepped outside the building and into the open area. The dim light provided by the moon and the stars helped him recognizing Rick Grimes. Then, much to his surprise, someone followed him... Someone with long, wavy, dark hair who was wrapped in a heavy trench coat.

Daryl recognized the second person as Addison and, as he did so, he felt something stirring inside him. He frowned upon that strange reaction, but decided it had nothing to do with the fact that she had finally slipped out of her beauty sleep and got back to the land of the living and everything to do with the fact that he was damn hungry.

However, despite Daryl's efforts, he couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation as to why he found himself frowning when he noticed Addison and Rick talking when they still were a few meters from the group, or when T-Dog handed Addison an improvised plate and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a strange embrace, or when Addison's eyes met his and she looked away almost instantly...

Shaking his head, he turned his attention to his food, which was practically the only thing that wouldn't give him a new set of strange thoughts.

#

Considering everything, they all had a rather pleasant dinner that night.

They had food and beverages that Rick, T-Dog and Glenn brought from the large stock the cafeteria still had and there was some real meat that Daryl managed to bring from his hunt. At some point, the mood became considerably lighter when Beth and Maggie gave in to Hershel's request and softly sang some old Irish song that brought a smile to everyone's faces... And one of the things that made that dinner feel so tranquil was that Addison's face could be counted among the rest.

When she approached the small circle of people, a great majority of them showed signs of being pleased with her presence there. Even Lori dropped the distant attitude and told her she was happy that she was okay; despite of the fact that there was something about the way she said those words that didn't sound exactly something spontaneous, it surprised Addison great deal since the older woman had been treating her like she just didn't exist. But she didn't say a word about that and politely smiled and thanked her kind words.

In all honesty, Addison wasn't really counting on such reaction from them all; she was expecting Analeigh to be all over her (which indeed happened and the little girl sat on Addison's lap the entire time), but she was truly touched and she smiled and whispered some heartfelt replies to their comments. However, she couldn't not notice the inherent absence of someone...

Or so she thought he wasn't there for she didn't see nor hear his Southern accent dripping from his distinct voice, but didn't take long for her to see that she had been dead wrong in assuming he was absent. He was there, only he had remained silent the entire time, just observing, not taking any part in that. Addison didn't take that as an offense or anything like that, but she would be lying if she said she didn't think about that...

It was only a couple of minutes after she took a seat between T-Dog and Hershel that Addison found the quiet figure sitting opposite from her, on the other side of the burning woods. The flames of the fire had somehow kept her from seeing him but, when she saw him, when her eyes made contact with his, she couldn't withstand the blazing glares that those blue Topaz eyes were sending her way.

Addison's forehead wrinkled in a frown; the reason why he was that upset was beyond her understanding and, truthfully, it bothered her to no end.

Did Daryl wish for her _not_ being there? That sure seemed very possible. But then again Rick said he went back with him and T-Dog when she didn't come back... Maybe he was forced to tag along? If so, that would sure as hell explain his strange behavior.

Shaking her head, Addison tried to dismiss all those troubling thoughts. Dwelling on that wouldn't make any difference whatsoever; if he didn't want her there, then he didn't want her there. What the hell else could she do? She couldn't force him to like her or even accept her in any way.

So Addison averted her eyes from the piercing stare that Daryl was addressing her, but even as she looked away, she could still feel his eyes on her every now and again... and it made her uncomfortable, like she wasn't supposed to be there.

For a moment, she considered leaving, after all, they've been together for quite a long time and she was there for two days... she wasn't really part of that group, and she could definitely understand it if not everyone were so fond of her presence there. But the atmosphere was so light and she had so much in her mind that she ended up staying. Addison didn't know how long all of that was going to last, not just the evening but her stay with that group, so she tried to burn in her memory as much as she could from that pleasant evening in order to distract herself whenever her demons started to take over.

.

A few moments later, Lori excused herself and walked back into the warmth of the building; warmth was a rather generous way of describing it, but it was less cold than it was outside. After that, one by one, the rest of the members of the group followed Lori's cue and returned to their shelter until Daryl, Rick, Glenn and Addison were still sitting around the warm embers of the almost extinguished fire.

Addison pulled her jacket closer. Once she noticed Analeigh was soundly asleep in Addison's arms, Maggie offered to take the little girl inside and put her in bed and both of them could be more comfortable. It was quite crude for Annie to be out there in the cold so, with a smile, Addison thanked the young woman and allowed her to take the sleepy child with her. But Addison had grown accustomed with the warmth that Analeigh's tiny body would provide and she was soon missing that.

"I'll take watch," Glenn said, ending the silence that had settled for the last couple of minutes. "Last night I didn't take any so, I'll do it."

Addison checked her watch; it was almost eleven. Making a mental count, she figured, if they were to take turns until next morning, early hours, then they would have about six hours to stay up and keep guard, which meant that each one would have to stay awake for about two hours if the four of them were going to take part in that task. It didn't seem much, but Addison knew how exhausting it could be. Sure they'd get to sleep, but it wouldn't be the same compared to sleeping throughout the entire night. Then, she looked at Glenn; the young Asian seemed fine as he spoke, but Addison remembered seeing him yawning and leaning against Maggie as they had dinner.

"Nu-uh," Addison spoke before Rick or Daryl could say anything. All three eyes turned to her. "If it's okay with you, I'll do it," she said, looking at Rick.

"I don't know how I feel about that," Rick said thoughtfully. "I mean, you just woke up..."

"Exactly," she interjected. "I just woke up after being out for almost twelve hours as you said yourself. I don't need sleep as much as any of you do right now."

Rick stared at the remaining glowing of the fire as he considered what Addison had said. He couldn't deny the fact that he could use some sleep for he was really tired, and he didn't think he was saying any stupidities when he said Daryl and Glenn were just as spent. They all had worked quite a lot from the moment the sun rose and long after the sun set. It's been like that for a damn long time and they had kind of gotten used to that tough routine. But they wouldn't say it didn't take its toll on them, and sure they could all accept a break when it was being offered... On the other hand, Addison had just pushed her body over the limit and collapsed. He wasn't even questioning her loyalties right now — he knew that the only way for her to prove such thing was if she was given a chance, a real chance, not some insincere illusion of a chance that meant nothing at all, and Rick had decided to do just that — he was wondering whether she was fit or not to do what she was proposing.

Then, her soft but reassuring voice pulled him from his thoughts as she assured him that she could do it. "I'm fine," she said solemnly. "And I'm not gonna try to do anything, I promise."

The emphasis Addison put in that last word didn't go unnoticed to any of them, nor did the intensity in her dark eyes; even Daryl who was the most suspicious of the group felt it, and when Rick turned to him, the hunter just gave him a knowing look. He knew how the former Deputy Sheriff felt about that and he believed Rick had his mind already made. All he could do was to reassure him that he trusted his decisions.

"Alright then," Rick finally said as he turned to look back at Addison. "You can take first watch... but if something happens, if you don't think you can do it—"

"I'll let you know," she finished his sentence with a short nod. "I get it."

Rick nodded in return as he stood from his place. He was heading back to the building where he'd join the rest of his group for a well deserved sleep when he stopped next to Addison and placed his right hand on her right shoulder.

"Anything," he said in a low tone, reminding her of what she had just agreed to. He didn't want to sabotage her, but he was also now willing to take any chances.

Addison placed her hand over his. "Don't worry," she said looking into his eyes. "I won't screw anything."

Rick nodded and, after wishing the rest of them a good night, he disappeared into the darkness of the cell block.

Glenn soon followed Rick.

The young Asian only took a moment to thank Addison for offering to take his place and, with a small smile and a squeeze on her upper arm, he walked rather content to the imposing building.

Addison followed Glenn with her eyes as the darkness embraced him, and she still kept looking at the open doors after he couldn't be seen anymore because she was suddenly very well aware of the fact that Daryl was still there.

She had ignored the hunter during the entire night and, now that they were the only ones left, she didn't really plan on changing that. Addison wasn't proud of what she was doing, especially because he had taken part on the group that went after her when she took off into the prison and almost ended up being walker food, but she didn't know what else to do. Well, she knew, she just didn't know how. She wanted to thank him for what he did, but the way he'd been staring at her the whole night, that made her hold it back.

But it was easier to ignore Daryl when there were other people around; she could just focus on someone else and there she had it. It was something damn different when he was the only one there and she didn't really have anyone else to focus on.

Then, as she noticed what she was doing, Addison frowned. Back when the world wasn't this freak show, if Addison found herself in a situation slightly like that, she would just walk away. Simple. So, why was it that she couldn't do it right now?

Oh, right... Because she probably owed her life to that man. Perhaps 33,3% of her life, maybe a little less, something around 20, 25% tops since she managed to get to that holding cell and lock herself there, but still.

Then, her brain decided it was time for her to remember some things that she very much wanted to forget and Addison's frown deepened.

_Why on Earth things needed to be that messed up?_ Addison thought to herself. She had her elbows resting on her knees and she buried her face on her open hands.

.

Daryl watched when Glenn went back to the prison and, against his own will, he watched when Addison kept her eyes glued to the building as if the old construction was something very interesting.

Without even noticing, he frowned.

During the entire time that Addison had sat there, she spoke to everyone — literally every single person that was around her — but him. She even had a pretty damn long conversation with Carl about something that Daryl didn't pay attention, but not for a second she addressed him. Well, there was that brief look, but it lasted half a second and was so weird and awkward that he wished it had never happened.

It'd probably be best, Daryl thought to himself as he inhaled deeply. At least then he wouldn't have all those stupid thoughts in his head.

Stupid thoughts. Stupid girl...

The anger he had been feeling when she didn't show up was back with a vengeance.

_First she thinks she needs to protect me, and now she just ignores me? The hell..._

Pulling his hunting knife from its sheath, Daryl started to poke on a burnt piece of wood that was still warm. Sitting there, he wanted nothing more than to say some not so kind words at that girl.

Who the hell she thinks she is? Who the hell she thinks he is? What the fuck makes her think she can show up and mess people's life like that?!

But he can't. Because despite every outrageous thing she'd done to him that day can't erase what she did for everyone. She helped them, shared her food, hell, she even handed him a coat so he wouldn't freeze to death... which, he reminded, was now sitting on the end of the bunk bed he reluctantly slept on the other night, neatly folded.

Looking up, he noticed she had her face in her hands. There was something about the way she stood there that reminded Daryl of the other night, when she was up in the guard tower, looking completely distressed.

Just like the other night, Daryl felt as if he needed to do something, anything. But unlike the other night, he did not. Instead, he sat there for a couple more seconds, before he stood from his place and walked off.

When he was hidden by the shadows of the prison, Daryl stopped and turned on his heels. He looked back at the place where he'd been sitting until just now and noticed Addison hadn't moved one muscle.

A rush of irritation hit him hard and he turned his back to her and headed to the cell in which he had left his meager belongings.

.

"Here."

Addison was lost in thoughts when someone spoke right next to her, startling her as she was rudely pulled back to reality.

Looking up to her right, she saw Daryl standing there, something in his hands.

"Ain't mine," he said looking at the piece of fabric in his hands.

It took her a while to realize it was the coat she had taken from her truck the night before.

"It is," she replied looking back at him. His eyes hadn't lost that blazing look. "I gave it to you."

"Don' want it," he snapped rather angrily.

Addison was at a loss. She stared at the coat then back at Daryl and, finally, took it from his hands with a cold and flat "fine".

"Fine," he retorted as he turned his back to her.

Daryl had taken just one step away when he remembered something. Looking over his shoulder, he simply said, "I'll take next watch."

The lack of emotions in Daryl's voice hit Addison like a punch. She had no idea what exactly she had done to deserve that kind of treatment.

Pursing her lips in anger, she thought to herself that, as stupid, childish and idiotic as it was, two could play that game.

"Fine," she responded through gritted teeth and she didn't even bother to watch that stubborn and infuriating redneck disappearing into the darkness. Instead, Addison headed straight to the guard tower in which she'd keep watch and isolated herself from the world.

#

It was quiet up there, and she was once again alone.

Focusing on the woods beneath her, Addison tried to think how exactly she ended up like this. Sure she had it all coming but still...

Closing her eyes for a moment, Addison tried to not let her tears fall. She could feel the coming as everything inside her started to hurt.

She had lost everything.

Her fingers gripped onto the coat she was still holding and she brought it to her face. All of her fight to not shed a tear was in vain; they were now falling freely from her eyes, wetting the soft and warm fabric of the coat.

Even though she managed to get through the night without breaking, Addison couldn't stop reliving the dream she had, the dream that woke her up. By now, she remembered everything. Every bit of it was burned to her memory, not allowing her to forget. Not that she ever would. Those two things would haunt her ass night and day... Gabriel and Nick's death would be with her until the day she would die. But as she cried her pain, her losses, something else hit her.

Addison tried to control herself. It was easier than she thought it would ever be, because the moment her eyes focused the dark coat she had in her hands, another image appeared before her eyes and it flooded with a mix of feelings that went from frustration, infuriation and ended up with anger.

It was as if she could see him, right there, and he was looking right back at her. The man from her dreams, the one with blue eyes and feathery white wings...

Acting with complete and utter detachment and a level of calm that she not even once believed possessing, Addison unfolded the coat, placed it on the handrail so it was hang there and she didn't have to touch it and averted her eyes from it. Although, nothing she could do would erase the image from her head... nor answer the one question that was hammering in her mind.

_Why the hell am I dreaming of Daryl Dixon?_


	18. Can we get this back

******DISCLAIMER:** THE WALKING DEAD AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. I do not own anything but my OCs and am still working on the plot but, just so you know, I haven't read the comics so, any resemblance to the plot-line from the comics is purely coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

As always, thanks everyone who's following this story! You guys are amazing :D

Here's a new chapter, it's not as long as the last ones but I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**XVIII.** _Can we get this back (to how it used to be)_

He lay on the soft mattress of the bed he'd claimed his, but did not sleep.

Surrounded by the heavy darkness, Daryl's eyes were open but not seeing, fixed on the bottom of the top bunk as he allowed his mind to go astray, or more so, he watched helplessly as his thoughts went wild, taking control of his mind and he couldn't do much about anything.

For what seemed to be an eternity, Daryl tossed and turned and tried to will himself to sleep, but sleep didn't come.

Every time he closed his eyes, he was gifted with the image of a pair of onyx eyes staring at him. Anxious, uncertain and even wary at first, but they would evolve into something completely different. In a brief moment, they became determined, resolute, unyielding.

With a low grunt, Daryl turned to his right side and tried to dig out a different thought, a different image, but what was there to think about? His past? There was nothing about his past he would want to remember. Ever.

Whenever he looked back at his shitty life, all Daryl could remember was his alcoholic, abusive father; his rough and blunt big brother; his absent, frail and equally ignorant mother...

_Such lovin' family,_ Daryl thought bitterly.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember one moment in which he didn't feel miserable. Or less unhappy, at least. All of his memories were harsh, blunt, tough...

Deep down, Daryl wondered if it had been always like that or somewhere down the road, any cheerful memories got lost, buried underneath all of the bad stuff. Because he couldn't have had a life full of hardship... could he? At some point, he must have found something a tad nice that kept him going, right?

Daryl let out a tired sigh. He really couldn't tell.

_Maybe that's why I'm like this,_ he thought to himself as he turned on the bed once more. The words his brother often used to describe him echoed in his ears, but Daryl was hearing that in his own voice, not Merle's. _Nothing but redneck white trash..._

The truth that those words held hit Daryl hard. He felt as if someone had punched him right in the face. When he was younger, Daryl would get mad at his brother whenever he called him that.

"I ain't no trash," Daryl spat angrily as he launched his body at his older brother, trying to tackle him to the ground, or inflict some pain. "I ain't you!"

But Merle was four years older than Daryl, bigger than him, and stronger as well. None of that seemed to matter to the young version of Daryl Dixon — didn't matter to the older version either — and he would still try and make his brother take those words back. Never worked.

Even these days, Daryl would still hear the highly amused laugh that his older brother would never put a minimal effort to hold back. Merle would never even try to conceal, or even pretend he wasn't openly laughing at his younger brother's stupidity.

"Oh, God..." Merle would say in between breaths as he held Daryl on a tight chokehold, still laughing. "Yer a bigger fool that I thought ya were... Ya ain't jus' redneck white trash. Yer also an huge-ass idiot for thinkin' yer better than any of us. Yer jus' like us, baby brother. Jus' like us..."

And even though Daryl tried to deny it, even though he tried to tell himself he wasn't anything like his parents or Merle, that was exactly what he was.

On a second thought, he wasn't just like them... he was worse. Because he allowed himself to be that way. He allowed himself to believe in Merle's words, and he never proved him wrong.

Daryl tossed about restlessly. He had succeeded in finding a different thought, but that different thought was something awful.

But whether it was awful or not, the not so pleasant memories from his past were something that Daryl was kind of used to. They were things he could handle, things he knew. So, even though it left Daryl with his mind full of things that he didn't like, after quite some time, he fell asleep. Though it was a restless and troubled sleep, filled with dreadful glimpses of his dreadful childhood and Daryl felt as if he had just closed his eyes when he woke up with his head hurting like hell.

He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands and pinched the bridge of his nose in a vain attempt to soothe the blinding pain he was feeling. If things were different, Daryl would have assumed the pounding in his head was because he had drank too much, but it's been a damn long time since he had last tasted a drop of alcohol so that wasn't it.

When his brain brought back the image of his father turned into a walker, ready to sink his teeth into the flesh of Daryl's arm flashed before his eyes, the hunter snapped his eyes open and quickly sat on his bed.

"Not even now the damned asshole will leave me alone," he grunted as he searched for his crossbow that he'd left next to his head with an arrow loaded, at arms reach in case he needed to get it fast.

Daryl had no idea what happened to his father for sure because they had parted ways long ago, but he didn't think the old drunk man would have survived the zombie apocalypse. In all honestly, as rude as it would sound, Daryl just didn't care about the fate of his father and it surprised him when the old man showed up in his dreams. It's been ages since he last thought about him and even longer since he last appeared to haunt his dreams...

Cursing his brain for bringing back such awful memories, Daryl pushed himself off the bed and started to walk outside, suddenly very aware of the place he was and wanting nothing more than get the hell out of there. But as his current location dawned on Daryl, so did what expected him outside: the couple of hours with no sleep and enough room for his thoughts to run wild again; the cold, biting wind that would whip by with no mercy, making his eyes sting and his whole body shiver; Addison...

Shaking his head, Daryl forced himself to buck up and stop being a cry baby. Addison was just a girl; a stupid, irritating, maddening girl that annoyed the hell out of Daryl, but a girl nonetheless. He had dealt with things a thousand time worst than her, had picked fights with men twice her size, survived alone in the woods when he was just a kid, he could — and would — suck it up and face it like the man he was, even if just by being around her made him want to shoot himself with one of his own arrows.

#

Addison was leaning against the handrail, eyes glancing at the woods and at the starry sky above her when her ears registered a sound different than what she was used to hearing by now.

Instinctively, she pulled the sniper rifle she had got from her truck hours ago and made a bullet slid into the chamber as she quietly walked through the small space, looking for whatever it was that had disturbed her peaceful watch.

A low grunt escaped her lips when she finally took notice of the object of her distress: no one other than Daryl Dixon had just left the building and was now crossing the patio.

Addison let go of the rifle and placed it back on the chair it'd been sitting until right now. Her eyes caught a glance of the coat that was still on the same place she'd put it when she first got there; the same troublesome sensation she felt when she had placed it there appeared again and made Addison fidget.

There was something about Daryl and she still needed to figure out what that was so she could work it out. _Or you could just leave... Go back home as you first intended to._

Addison stopped. It wasn't the first time that thought danced in her mind, but it was the first time she found herself unsure.

It was never Addison's intention to stay in that place forever. Sure, it was surprisingly nice to be with those people (well, at least most of them) and it was incredibly great to be able to stop running for a while. So much that she had put her own plans on hold so she could enjoy that a little bit longer... It wasn't in the script to get swarmed by walkers as she walked aimlessly through those corridors and pass out for almost half a day, but even those things didn't feel as terrible as it could be for there were others to watch her back — as strange as it sounded.

More than anything, the way those people (or at least most of them) seemed to have embraced her presence there and didn't seem to mind it all that much made Addison start to reconsider quite a few things, such as: could she drag Analeigh back to what they had before? All the running and fighting and the constant fear of being caught with her guard down and get outnumbered? Was it fair with the little girl? Wouldn't it be better if she was in a larger group where she would be considerably safer? Wouldn't it be better if _they_ were?

Addison's mind was full with doubts. But the problem, lately more than ever, was that not everyone seemed content with her presence there.

They had exchanged a dozen of words and everything, but Addison could tell that Lori wasn't her biggest fan. Same would apply to Daryl; but the difference was that Lori's dislike towards Addison was veiled, concealed, while Daryl's...

Even though Addison wasn't one to care about people's opinion and whether they liked her or not, this time she couldn't brush away the disturbing sensation that she felt whenever she recalled the scornful expression plastered on the man's face.

The way his clear blue eyes stared at her with such anger made her frown inwardly and outwardly. She just didn't get what the hell was the matter with Daryl, but most of all, she didn't get why the fuck she cared. And then, only to make things better, that goddamned redneck had showed up in her dreams.

Addison rubbed her face with her hands and faced the outside of the prison one more time. The things she wouldn't do so that everything could just go back to normal... because it didn't matter how hard things were, at least Addison knew how to deal with her problems, unlike now.

_You can always leave..._

And there it was. The small voice within was back with that alternative, and the wheels in her head started to turn again.

She could leave indeed. Nothing was stopping Addison from jumping into her truck and driving away. Away from that prison, away from Daryl and his glares, away from Lori and her strange behavior... Away from Carol who was so nice and kind to her, away from the safety that the big numbers provided, away from Rick and his surprisingly nice company...

Could she do that? Leave? She had done that before, but she wasn't alone then... Did she have the guts to go out there by herself? Because Addison wasn't so sure she could take Analeigh with her. If she ever said she was leaving, Annie would want to go and Addison would want to take her, that was for sure, but it seemed that Annie's best chance was with that group. They could do a lot more for her than Addison ever could...

_Does it mean I've reached a decision?_ Addison thought to herself as she fixed her eyes on the tallest tree and watched the leaves swaying with the breeze. It seemed as if she was making plans already...

But, before she could come up with an answer, whether she had decided anything or not, she heard the distinct sound of footsteps followed by the door being open, and before Addison could wrap her mind around the fact that he was there, it hit her with a blunt force: the scent that was a mix of trees and grass and sweat and something musky that made her shut her eyes and bring her hands to the sides of her head, for it started to throb.

.

Daryl's steps when he exited the tower and stood on the grid that formed the small path that wrapped the observation place were careful. He looked around before walking any further, as if it wasn't a safe place for him to be.

In a way, it could be. Not much because of the perils of that surface to cave in and collapse, but because of something else.

Daryl didn't know if he was more concerned about himself and how his bad dreams had left him restless and in a terrible mood, or if he was more worried about Addison.

Despite him trying to convince himself he could suck it up and deal with it, as he walked by the pit where moments later he was sitting next to a fire, memories of Addison's harsh words, bad temper and fuming attitude returned to his mind. Daryl didn't think she would shoot him or anything like that, but she was mad enough to try to do something stupid.

But that was hours ago; maybe she got over it... As soon as the thought crossed Daryl's mind, the hunter dismissed it almost instantly with a scowl. He hadn't gotten over it, so he thought it was foolish for him to even consider such thing. Was it possible? Yes. But highly unlikely, after all, she had all those hours by herself and God only knows what she had in her mind.

Without noticing, Daryl frowned._ The hell is the matter with ya? _He mentally scolded himself for the hundredth time. Lately, he'd been slipping into that strange pattern over and over again. That needed to stop.

Then, it was as if Daryl could hear his brother speaking inside his head, although "speaking" was a nice way of putting things...

_Don't ya have any balls, boy?_ Growled an annoyed Merle Dixon. _Are ya as flat as a Ken doll between the legs? What the hell kind of pussy are ya? Lettin' a bitch get in yer mind like that... Ya should be gettin' in her, that's what ya should be doin'. If it was me, I'd be bending the bitch over, makin' her scream..._

Daryl shook his head and tried really hard to silence the voice of his older brother. He had lost count of how many times he had to endure his brother's comments on how much of a pussy he was, how he should've been a girl because he damn sure acted like one and shit like that... And he had lost count of how many times he had to hear his brother bragging about all the women he had ever scored.

Merle and Daryl were brothers, but they couldn't be more different. Unlike his older sibling, the younger Dixon didn't share any of Merle's beliefs. For instance, he didn't care about races, genders and stuff like that as much as Merle did; if anything, he couldn't care less about those things. He had never minded the color of someone's skin or if they hailed from different places, cultures, all that kind of crap and right now, that was the very least of his concerns. The only thing that mattered to Daryl was whether someone was a human or a walker. Anything else just lost importance a damn long time ago...

As he stood there with the voice of his brother echoing in his mind, Daryl couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if Merle was there. Sure as hell things would be completely different, and Addison would have to deal with the handful of crap that the older Dixon would be throwing her way... but, surprisingly enough, Daryl found himself frowning upon that thought. For some reason, he didn't like one bit to contemplate the mere thought of Merle and Addison and he found himself getting more that slightly aggravated when his brain conjured the image of the two of them. Together.

_Ya should be gettin' in her. If it was me, I'd be bendin' the bitch over, makin' her scream..._

Pursing his lips in anger and bawling his hands into fists, Daryl tried to occupy his mind with something else. Anything would be better than the shitload of crap that his stupid brain had conjured. But with each and every attempt to think of something else, he would see his brother.

_Bendin' the bitch over..._

And Merle was doing exactly what he was suggesting with that stupid smug grin that Daryl had lost count of how many times he'd seen plastered on his face.

_Makin' her __**scream**__..._

A sudden surge of something that resembled an awful lot of fury made Daryl want to punch the grin off of Merle's face. He knew it was all in his head, but that didn't seem to mind at that moment. In fact, anything seemed to mind. Daryl was so caught up with his thoughts that he didn't see nor heard it when Addison approached him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked; voice as cold as ice.

His head turned quickly to his right and Daryl found himself staring at the same girl that, moments ago, his brain decided to imagine with his older brother.

As he looked at Addison, for some ungodly reason Daryl could still see Merle's hands roaming over the sides of her body and he could still see the way Merle's eyes went dark as he stared at her from behind and, without noticing, Daryl's features suddenly acquired a stern expression as his blue eyes turned into an angry look.

Daryl may have not noticed anything, but Addison did. She saw, crystal clear, the sudden change in his features. And even though it made her flinch inwardly, it also made her toughen up. Inhaling deeply and clenching her teeth, Addison folded her arms across her chest and arched an eyebrow at Daryl, who hadn't said one word nor made one move for that matter.

"What? Will you just stand there?" she spat angrily. Addison noticed her words sounded harsher than she intended to, but didn't do a thing to change or soothe that.

Sure they weren't close or anything like that, but neither one could deny that, ever since she woke up, Addison and Daryl had been on less than friendly terms. And neither one couldn't not notice that things were escalating pretty quickly...

"Either you say why you are here or leave," she added just as coldly as before. "You're disturbing my watch."

Daryl didn't even bother trying to conceal his distaste and his forehead wrinkled in a frown. By now, Merle was nowhere to be found and the other version of Addison was gone as well and Daryl was left alone with a raving woman. He didn't know what was the most intense thing he was feeling right now; if he was thankful for not having the image of his older brother and Addison in his mind, or mad because of how she was talking to him. He decided it was a drawn.

"It's my watch now," he replied flatly, taking hold of the strap that held his crossbow to his shoulder.

"Well, consider this your lucky night. I have everything under control, which means you can go back to your chambers," _and sleep off your sour mood,_ Addison thought but, wisely enough, didn't say out loud.

If things were different, Daryl would have liked very much to have someone covering his night shift, especially because he had stayed up the night before and had worked his ass off the next day... but sleep and Daryl weren't on good terms at the moment so he was actually looking forward to keeping watch; it would give him something to focus on, and it wouldn't allow his thoughts to go astray.

"I said I was gonna take next watch 'n that's exactly what I'm gonna do," he repeated his words stubbornly and stood his ground. "Ya can go ahead 'n leave."

Before she knew it, her frustration could not be contained and Addison snapped at him. "What is the matter with you?"

Daryl's frown deepened. "What?" he asked puzzled.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" she echoed her question, making sure to say each and every word very carefully. "Are you always this obtuse to everyone you know, or I'm just special?"

Daryl's wrinkled face wrinkled further into an expression of anger.

"Who the fuck ya think ya are?!" he spat harshly. Letting go of the strap of his crossbow, Daryl took a step towards her, narrowing the distance between them to less than half a dozen steps. "Ya don' know nothin' 'bout me. Not a damn thing! So don' go callin' me names..."

If she was honest, Addison would have admitted that Daryl's reaction had left her astonished. For a split second, when he let go of his crossbow and started to walk towards her, she believed she was going to literally feel the weight of her words. But when he stopped a few steps from her, keeping a safe distance, she saw how wrong she was. He wasn't gonna hit her. But it wasn't that that surprised her; it was the way he spoke and the look in his eyes. Albeit harsh, Daryl had managed to keep his voice low and a somewhat measured, and his eyes had this strange look that Addison just could not read, and she was usually pretty decent with reading people.

But, despite it all, she didn't let it show how his reaction affected her. Somehow, she was able to keep it to herself, hide it somewhere inside... And somehow, she had the nerve to reply.

"I may not know a damn thing, but I've seen enough. And judging by your heated reaction, I don't think I said any lies."

Addison's response left Daryl silent with the sharp accuracy of the blow. He knew she hadn't said any lies, but hearing her say it and knowing that she now knew how right she was made him feel a lump growing in his chest.

_Yer jus' like us, baby brother..._

The memory of Merle's statement and how amused he was when he said it echoed in Daryl's mind.

Daryl never wanted to be like the older Dixon. Merle was an asshole... maybe Daryl was no different.

_Jus' like us..._

Addison watched as the corners of Daryl's mouth turned down in dismay. She didn't know what she was supposed to feel, but standing there and looking at those troubled blue eyes, Addison didn't feel good.

A strange and awkward silence fell like a thick blanket upon the two of them. For a moment or so, neither Addison nor Daryl knew what to say. The first one wasn't sure if there was anything she could or should say for Addison believed she had pushed things too far; the latter too wasn't sure of what to say because he couldn't deny what was true.

It was Daryl who broke the silence.

Narrowing his eyes at Addison, he inhaled sharply. "You know nothing," he hissed; his voice was distant, but his words were like the wind: biting cold.

"I know more than you think." The statement simply rolled from her lips as it crossed her mind. She didn't even have the time to think whether she wanted to say those words or not.

Daryl narrowed his eyes at Addison. It wasn't until now that he had noticed the girl was about the same height as he was. He had also suddenly became acutely aware of how her lips were full and red-ish, how her eyelashes weren't crazy long, how she had a small round scar right above the left eyebrow which, like the right one, seemed to be neatly designed, how her button nose had a slightly pointed tip, how the bright round moon was making her onyx eyes glow... Now, why was he paying attention to such details, he had no idea, and truthfully, he intended to leave things like that.

"But whatever," she spoke again, making Daryl shove his weird thoughts aside and focus on what was really happening. He frowned as he noticed Addison was now holding a sniper rifle.

Instinctively, he grabbed the strap of his crossbow.

Addison noticed that not so subtle movement and almost smiled. Almost. She couldn't stop thinking about the way he stared at her throughout the dinner and how he kept that glare when he got there moments ago, so she ended up keeping the smile to herself as she stared at him blankly and practically shoved the rifle into his hands.

"I will leave you alone," she said; her words as void of emotions and detached as her demeanors. "And don't worry. I will not bother you again." And with that, Addison walked past Daryl, opened the door and disappeared into the darkness.

That was also the farthest Daryl allowed himself to follow the young woman with his eyes. He didn't look down to see her as she walked towards the prison and, consequentially, he did not see when she stopped by the truck to take something from the cabin. He was still trying to push everything he couldn't deal with to the back of his mind and lock them there.

Easier said than done.

He succeeded at first. With a little bit of an effort, Daryl managed to shut down everything that had happened during the last forty eight hours or so and focus on what he had to do; but after about thirty minutes, when the monotony started to settle and the silence became too loud and the cold started to bother him, Daryl's eyes landed on the goddamned coat that she had left there, hanging on the handrail and all of his efforts from earlier went through the window.

#

Addison walked with steady and long steps towards the interior of the prison.

That little conversation she had with Daryl was more than enough and somehow, it ended up with her making her mind about what she would do next.

But just because she knew what she was going to do, didn't make things any easier. And sure as hell things became a thousand times harder when her eyes landed on the figure of Analeigh sleeping on the bottom bunk, all wrapped up in her ivory blanket and holding tightly onto Mr. Murphy.

Addison's heart sank and she leaned against the doorway, arms folded across her chest. She stood there for a few moments, just watching her sleep and hearing her steady breaths. That little girl meant everything to her now, and just the thought of never seeing her again made her feel awful. Her breath caught in her throat and Addison realized she was on the verge of tears.

Biting on her lower lip, she closed the small space that separated her from the berth where the little blonde was sleeping. Kneeling beside her, Addison softly ran her fingers through the kid's hair.

"Dee-Dee?" Even though it wasn't louder than a whisper, the sleepy voice of Analeigh filled the space and hit Addison with a pang.

"Hey, sweetheart," she said, her voice as low as Analeigh's. "I didn't mean to wake you up..."

"Is everything okay?"

A loud _no_ echoed in her mind, but Addison murmured a soft "yes" instead. "I just wanted to see how you were doing..."

Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands, Analeigh sat on the bed, leaving some space for Addison to sit with her. And so she did. She sat next to Analeigh and wrapped her arms around her petite frame.

"I'm fine now," she whispered while sneaking her small arms around Addison's waist. "But I was scared earlier, when you weren't waking up..."

"I'm awake now." Addison placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"And things are better now..."

Those simple words rendered Addison speechless. There was literally not a thing she could say at that moment, so Addison just held Analeigh closer; that was everything she had to offer. And maybe it was enough because Addison felt the little girl snuggling up to her and, less than a minute later, she was sleeping again.

But sleep wasn't coming that easily for Addison.

Instead, she just lay there for quite a long time, wondering if she was doing the right thing or not. Eventually, her eyelids started to feel heavier than usual, and so was her heart, for she hadn't found a decent answer...

#

What happened next was kind of a blur.

Daryl knew he had stayed up, but he didn't really remember much about it; nothing happened and, as messed up as it sounded, the stillness of the night didn't please the hunter.

When Rick showed up to trade places with Daryl at the guard tower, he agreed to it and left the former Sheriff upstairs, but he headed back to the prison against his own will. He had managed to get to his bunk bed and didn't even bother taking off his boots.

The last thought that crossed his mind before he fell asleep was how things were different when Addison wasn't there. It was less complicated. It was easier...

_I wish things could jus' go back to being easier..._

.

Much to Daryl's surprise, the second time he tried to get some sleep, he succeeded.

He knew he had dreamed, but couldn't remember about what. It was probably a good thing, he thought to himself as he rubbed his eyes and sat on the bed, because something felt weird, but Daryl didn't even try to figure out what was it that didn't sit right or why — he had enough of weird for a lifetime or perhaps three.

Instead, the hunter just rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the sleepiness that still lingered as he reached for his crossbow. He stood up and headed with small and lazy steps towards the open doors of the building.

The brightness had replaced the darkness and the sun was shining bright. There was a cool wind, but Daryl could feel the warmth in his skin. The feeling was incredibly good, or it was for a few seconds. Because the moment he looked away from the sky and looked at his surroundings, Daryl swallowed hard and felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Something wasn't right.

The hunter rubbed his eyes and scanned the patio one more time, but there was no way he could ever be wrong about that.

The huge Dodge Ram was nowhere to be found. It was gone.

* * *

**A/N:** I know it's early and all, but I wanted to wish you all a very **Happy New Year**! x


	19. Let the truth sting

I am truly and deeply sorry for the delay on the update. I know you're not looking for excuses and whatnot, but between receiving quite the distressful phone call from my brother on December 31 saying that someone broke into our place, trashed and robbed our stuff, trying to not let my anxiety issues reign over me (even though I wasn't there; thankfully no one was) and having an indisposition earlier this week, I had quite the hard time doing pretty much doing anything, let alone writing. I hope you all can forgive me; here's a new chapter and I did my best to make it nice. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

**XIX.** _Let the truth sting_

Daryl kept his eyes glued to the patio that now seemed oddly empty without that enormous silver truck of Addison's. He didn't know what to think or how he felt about that.

_Where the hell did that girl go?_

The question danced in his head as he tried to come up with a decent explanation for the inherent absence of the vehicle. Daryl's mind wandered nonstop, but despite it all, he knew that, in a deep, dark place he cared not to go, he knew what the answer for that question was.

_Ya wished for it, didn' ya?_ His own voice said in the back of his mind. And indeed he did. During the two days of Addison's stay, Daryl had often found himself wishing she hadn't appeared, wishing for things to just go back to how they used to be...

Daryl bit on his lower lip. Never in his life had he ever got anything he ever wished for. Was it possible that, this time, he would be granted such thing?

_Nah,_ he chided himself. That would be stupid, and if he believed that something or someone had answered his wishes, then he was equally stupid, if not more. Because believing in such thing would mean that Daryl believed there was some sort of power reigning over them... but, seriously, what kind of creator would bring so much pain and destruction over its own creation?

Daryl shook his head and tried to block out those thoughts. Religion was the kind of subject that, if Daryl could avoid, he would, and sure as hell he wouldn't dwell on that deliberately. Quickly glancing around, he opted to do something that would give him answers, so he resumed his walk and headed towards the guard tower.

"Glenn!" He called as he started climbing the stairs. Daryl knew Glenn and Maggie were sharing a cell and he made sure to announce his arrival in case the older Greene sister was up there with the Asian. He did not need any images of the two of them together...

But there was no need for him to be calling out for Glenn for there was no one up in the guard tower. Much to Daryl's surprise, the watching spot was empty.

A deep frown appeared on Daryl's face as he held onto the strap of his crossbow tightly. How come no one was there to keep watch? Especially now that Addison had gone MIA.

Daryl had already decided he'd ask Glenn that question in a few because he had taken the last shift, but while he was up there, might as well check the place, just in case.

He paced across the length of the grid, eyes focused on the area outside the prison and, all the time, he could hear that faint voice in the back of his mind repeating over and over again, _"Ya wished for it, didn' ya?"_

.

Daryl stayed up there for only a couple of minutes, perhaps a little bit more but, by the time he returned to the patio, a few other of the group was leaving the cell block.

T-Dog for instance was outside.

"Hey, man." Even though he hadn't said Daryl's name, the younger Dixon knew he was talking to him. "Where is Addie's truck?"

Without even noticing, Daryl's eyebrows furrowed. Addie? When the hell did Addison stop being Addison and started being _Addie_?

"You're askin' me?" Daryl noticed, as he heard his own voice, that his reply had sounded harsher than he had intended to. And he also noticed that he didn't mind it as much as he should... And the knowledge of it left a bitter taste in his mouth; he feared that he was slipping back to the old Daryl, the Daryl that nobody ever liked, the Daryl that was an outcast and everyone avoided like the black plague, the Daryl that "honored" the surname Dixon. It unsettled him enough to make him add a simple and casual: "I jus' got here..."

T-Dog squinted as he looked around, scanning the patio. Daryl wanted to scoff at him; what the fuck was he expecting? To suddenly see the damned truck reappear, out of thin air? But he didn't. Because, as dumb as it could sound, Daryl had done the same when he woke up to find that the vehicle had disappeared.

Then, as T-Dog was still surveying the area, looking for something Daryl knew he just wouldn't find, someone else joined them.

"What happened to Addie's truck?" asked a confused Glenn.

Daryl's eyebrows wrinkled further. There it was; that damned nickname again... But more than that, Daryl had noticed something else that made him frown inwardly. He could tell, just by his tone of voice that Glenn had been sleeping until moments ago. The hunter didn't know what was bothering him the most, if it was Addison's stupid nickname, if it was Glenn's stupid question or if it was the fact that the stupid Asian kid was supposed to be on watch.

"I think sh—"

"The hell 're ya doin' down here?" Daryl snapped; he didn't show any signs of regret for cutting T-Dog off. Instead, he resumed his walk towards the entrance of the prison. "Weren't ya supposed to be on watch?"

Glenn flinched slightly at Daryl's words. Only slightly though, and just because he was still a bit dazed.

"Yeah," he said defensively as Daryl approached him. "But, when I showed up, Rick said he had everything under control and he... told me I could go back."

Glenn's voice trailed off as he watched Daryl walk past him and head straight into the prison. The younger man doubted the hunter had heard one word he had said, even though Daryl had been the one questioning about his watch duty.

"What the hell was that?!" Glenn asked T-Dog, looking rather dumbfounded.

"You're asking me?" T-Dog echoed Daryl's words as he addressed Glenn a look that silently said he was also at a loss.

.

As soon as he heard Glenn's defensive "yeah", Daryl essentially stopped hearing anything else. He only acknowledged Rick's name when Glenn said it because that also happened to be the one name he had in mind.

Since Glenn didn't take watch, then Rick must have taken his place. And he should know where Addison went. He just needed to find him so he could ask.

But the problem was: Rick was nowhere to be found. He had searched every single cell from that cell block and the former Deputy Sheriff was just not there.

_Now this one..._

Daryl was getting tired of people going missing. It was unnerving to say the least.

Then, as he tried to think of a place where Rick could be, a small voice spoke in the back of his head. _If you wished for that, if you wished for Addison to leave, then why on Earth aren't you feeling at least satisfied with her departure? Also, why the fuck are you so invested in finding out where did she go?_

Daryl shook his head and headed back outside as he tried to focus on finding Rick once again because he knew the man wouldn't just turn his back on everyone and take off like that. Not after everything they've been through.

If the man's behavior over the last couple of months was anything to go by, Daryl would say that it wasn't like Rick to do anything like that; perhaps Shane would do that, but not Rick.

So, with that certainty in mind, Daryl decided he had just looked everywhere and that's what he needed to do. He just needed to look more carefully. As for the annoying voice in his mind, Daryl had only one thing to say: some questions were better left unanswered.

#

Addison sat, nearly immobile, on the driver seat of the silver Dodge Ram; with her eyes glued to the road ahead, she drove the big vehicle of hers through the empty ways at a steady pace.

On occasion, she would stick her left arm out of her open window and let it hang there for a while or she would absent-mindedly run her fingers through her raven hair; but, other than that, she remained still as a rock. Even her foot set on the gas pedal hadn't moved all that much.

She had her elbow pressed against the half open window, head leaning into the palm of her left hand and a deep in thought expression plastered on her face as she chewed on her lower lip when something finally made her shift on her sit.

"Trinity is about three miles ahead."

For the first time in about half hour, Addison looked elsewhere but the road. Rick was sitting right next to her, studying a Georgia map he had taken from his old red and white Chevy.

With a short nod, Addison said a simple, "okay," while exchanging a brief glance with the dark haired man.

In all honesty, that wasn't the kind of road trip Addison had planned. But it wasn't like she had much of a choice when she found no one other than Rick Grimes on her face, asking her what she was doing...

.

_Addison's hands freeze as she reached for one of the luggage that was still on the back of her truck. She vaguely remember thinking why they were all still there if she had clearly told Carol to take some of that when her thoughts were pulled into a different direction when she heard his grave voice somewhere behind her. She hadn't even heard him approaching her._

_"Thinking of leaving?" Rick asked but, if his tone was anything to go by, Addison would say he wasn't really asking..._

_She dropped the handle of the dark luggage, but still didn't turn to face him. "I'd never do anything to harm your group," she muttered._

_"Great... but that doesn't answer what I asked."_

_With a tired sigh, Addison finally gathered the courage to turn around and face Rick. His blue eyes were deeper and bluer that she remembered, and it had nothing to do with the fact that last time she'd seen them was at night and, except for the small fire, they were embraced by darkness instead of the shy sun-rays that were beginning to appear._

_"It is probably for the best." It still wasn't much of an answer and she knew it, but it was the best Addison could deliver._

_Things could be different if it was anyone else but him and Carol, but just her luck, it was Rick the one inquiring her._

_"Best for who?" He pushed as he took a small step forward, narrowing the distance between the two of them a few inches._

_"Everyone."_

_Addison's voice sounded mechanic, so void of emotions that Rick found himself furrowing his eyebrows._

_"Really?" He retorted rather coldly. "Does Carol share your opinion?"_

_"She doesn't have to."_

_"Does she even know that you plan on leaving?"_

_"What's with the inquiry?" She tried to keep the edge away from her words but didn't succeed. She was already frustrated and there was Rick, making things a lot more difficult. Why was he there anyway? From what she knew, Glenn was supposed to be the one on watch... Not that she thought the young Asian wouldn't ask her a few questions, but she sure as hell didn't expect him to make things that hard._

_Truthfully, Rick was kind of expecting such reaction. He had seen and heard enough by now to expect Addison to raise her guards back up. So, without showing any signs of being affected by her words, he took another step forward. And another._

_"It looks like I'm the one who's going to break the news to everyone when they all wake up and see that you and Analeigh are gone." He took one more step before stopping, respecting her personal space. "I don't thin—"_

_"It's just me," Addison piped in, interrupting whatever speeches he had prepared for her and she watched as Rick's eyebrows wrinkled in a mix of surprise and astonishment. "I don't plan on taking Analeigh with me. It's too risky."_

_"Does she...?" Rick hadn't even finished his question but he saw Addison shaking her head and knew she already know what he was going to ask. And indeed she did._

_"No. She doesn't know," Addison admitted with a heavy heart. "She wouldn't understand..."_

_"Sure she wouldn't be the only one," he commented; there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice, but mostly, he was still surprised._

_Then, he raised his head and fixed his eyes upon Addison. "Is it because of Daryl?"_

_The young brunette didn't answer right away. She remained silent for a few seconds and couldn't help it when her eyebrows wrinkled. _How the hell did he reach that conclusion?

_"Daryl seemed off when I saw him leaving the guard tower last night," Rick spoke when Addison failed to answer his question. He fidgeted a little and she couldn't help but find that slightly off. Not to mention Rick's words sounded an awful lot like an explanation; Addison didn't do anything to interrupt that, though. "And, by accident, I kind of heard the two of you talking..."_

Well, that's how,_ she thought to herself._

_"Despite everything," Addison spoke after a few seconds. "You seem to have a solid group here. It is clear to me that you all care about each other and fight hard to protect each other. I don't want to cause any trouble, or bring any kind of problems to you..."_

.

Addison was being honest.

She did have the best of all intentions in mind when she decided to part ways with that group. Because even though she sensed some sort of gap between them, they were a group and worked fantastically together. Addison had to be honest and admit that, if the other groups she had crossed path with were that great together, thinking and working as a solid unit, her fate, without a doubt, would have been completely different... When she thought about that, Addison couldn't really tell how she felt.

Now that she had spent some time with a group as functional as Rick's, the slim cold finger of fear started to circle her heart and brush the length of her spine. She had dealt with some not-so-friendly survivors before, but they were as organized as women's hormones during PMS; they've been just a couple few men with guns and no strategy or plans whatsoever. Addison didn't think she'd stand a chance if she ever had to deal with men like that but with a solid looking group like this one...

Maybe it was the scary prospect of what she was really going to get herself into, maybe it was just the fact that Addison's resolution wasn't as strong and firm as she believed they were the night before, or maybe it was something else entirely but, when Rick asked her to think about that just a little longer and asked if, in the mean time, she couldn't come with him for he wanted to explore a little further, Addison found herself agreeing to it. And that's how she ended up back on the road, but with Rick Grimes riding shotgun.

"Why did you do it?" Addison asked when they were driving twelve miles per hour, through the deserted streets of Trinity.

Addison found herself thinking as she looked around that, before the outbreak, that should have been one damn small city. There were hardly any high buildings, some of the stores seemed to be equally little, nothing huge or even super fancy like she was used to seeing during most of her life as the big city girl she was... Not that it mattered, though. Because it certainly didn't. At this time, Addison couldn't care less if the next place she got to check was a Salvatore Ferragamo fancy store or some small tailoring ran by someone's grandmother, a big supermarket or some small grocery; if it had useful things, she was taking it.

She had just spotted a particularly large building that looked promising and was slowly making her way to it when her eyes drifted away from the street and caught Rick's eyes.

"I mean, _this_," she added when she noticed hints of curiosity swimming on those big blue eyes. "Trinity. Asking me to re-think my decision... All of it. Why?"

"Because," he said solemnly as he reached out to grab one of the rifles that Addison had moved from the truck's bed to the backseat. "I used to be a police officer, and well, call it stupidity, but I don't know how I'd feel if you left and something happened..."

The clicking of the guns being checked and re-checked and bullets being pushed into extra clips filled the interior of the truck for a handful of seconds, until Addison broke it.

"It wouldn't be your fault," she said just as seriously as Rick had sounded. But despite that, there was a subtle softness in Addison's tone; they both noticed it, but they both also decided to not comment on.

"Probably not," Rick said as he opened the passenger door and stepped carefully out of the vehicle. "But that doesn't mean I would be happy about that either," he added in a low tone as he watched the young brunette leave her vehicle and slowly walk around the front of the vehicle.

His eyes narrowed as he looked around, checking their surroundings with a loaded Remington 870, 12-gauge in his hands, ready to put it to good use if it was necessary. But the streets seemed empty. In fact, Rick felt as if he had arrived in a ghost town, which wasn't really a wrong description of the city of Trinity.

There was literally nothing about that place that gave Rick and Addison the idea of other survivors. However, the two of them knew better than to believe that. Flashes of his encounter with Dave and Tony when he went after Hershel when they were all at the farm quickly invaded Rick's mind, but he managed to push it all aside, only keeping his senses alert for any replay of that situation. Now, Rick didn't want to go through that again, but he would be prepared if he had to.

"Thanks, I guess," Addison said equally softly, voice not louder than a whisper. "But, so... where do you want to start?" she asked, mirroring Rick and glancing around. The building turned out to be some kind of shopping arcade and next to it, there were other stores, shops, bars, a bank and Addison even spotted a bakery and a beauty parlor. Judging by the looks of it, they were in downtown Trinity.

There were quite a few places that tickled Rick's fancy. Aside from the shopping arcade, the drugstore and the supermarket were the main ones, but he was also interested in finding a gas station for they could always use extra gasoline.

"Let's check the mall first," he said after pondering the possibilities for a moment.

.

The Trinity Centre consisted of about twenty something (or a number close to it) stores spread between two floors; mostly clothing stores, but there were toy stores, drugstores, electronics and sports places, a bookshop, a small version of a department store, a few places that they couldn't exactly figure what was the main thing they work with for there were a bunch of random stuff (from cigarettes and magazines to knifes and daggers), half a dozen of cafes and restaurants and even cinema.

For obvious reasons, they didn't get to search them all, but Rick and Addison decided that medicine and clothes were what they needed the most.

Even though a good part of the back of her truck was currently occupied with luggage Addison didn't even argue on the clothing; Carl was young and growing so he'd need clothes, and the same would work for Analeigh and one could never go easy with the winter looming up on them... but she furrowed her eyebrows when Rick wandered through the baby's section.

.

The drugstore outside the mall was bigger but, just like everything they checked thus far, had already been raided.

There were boxes scattered all over the floor and lying disorganized on the shelves, pills crushed and creams splattered all around, even some broken bottles. However, despite it all, there were plenty of things they could use, so Rick and Addison started to sort out what would be best for them to take.

They worked in silence, grabbing things like painkillers, antibiotics, vitamins and things like that... That is until Addison couldn't hold it anymore.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked. Her words came out rather bluntly, but Addison didn't have time to regret that for Rick's eyes were soon on her, and he was holding a look that, albeit surprised, told her that she had his full attention.

Rick frowned inwardly. The way she spoke, so suddenly and forward had made him glance at her rather carefully and a bit dubiously, but more than that, it had left him curious. "Go ahead," he said with a short nod.

"What happened?"

He was almost reaching a bottle of peroxide when his hands stopped halfway. He raised his head to look at Addison; the young brunette was just a couple of shelves away from him, still sorting the medicine and whatever other things they could need and not really pay attention to him.

Addison was still assessing what was available, but she felt a pair of eyes fixed on her. Raising her head, she met his deep blue eyes studying her, probably trying to understand what exactly she meant by "what happened".

"Let's say I'm doing as you asked," Addison continued. "Say I am reconsidering my prior decision of leaving... there is something that keeps bothering me."

With his brows slightly knitted together, Rick managed to say some encouraging words to the brunette. "Speak your mind."

"What happened before we crossed paths?" They held each other's glance for a couple of few seconds until Addison continued roaming through the alleys. "I mean, I know we all have our hands full but, pardon me if I'm wrong, it feels like something happened and it somehow caused quite an impact on your people..."

By then, Rick had given up on trying to split his attention even more. He stood, rooted to the spot and just watched Addison as she grabbed a handful of antibiotics and shoved them into a backpack she was carrying. But in contrast to his still exterior, Rick's mind was working furiously as he debated whether or not to tell her what happened.

Rick had no doubts the group looked divided. Hell, he couldn't just ignore how everyone treated him or behaved differently whenever he was around... he just didn't think it was that obvious for everyone and, truth be told, he kind of expected that Addison didn't notice. But she didn't notice just that; she also couldn't miss how her words affected Rick.

Addison wanted to know what had happened. If she was to stay, she wanted to know why there was a gap that resembled an abyss separating some of the members of the group...

But, at the same time she wanted to know, she also began to feel as if she was being inconvenient, which was kind of unexpected when she thought about it. Everything about that new world was an inconvenient, starting with the dead that refused to stay dead. However, the unconfortableness that was emanating from Rick made her feel uncomfortable as well. Despite the circumstances and a rather turbulent start, Rick had been really nice to her so far...

Addison was just about to give him the "you don't have to say if you don't want to" speech, when Rick finally appeared to be snapping out of his trance. He inhaled deeply and searched for Addison's eyes. Sapphires met onyx and for a moment, there was nothing but more silence.

"I think it's only fair enough if I answer your question since you've answered everything I have asked you so far," Rick said, trying to sound casual but knowing he wasn't exactly succeeding.

Addison had noticed the hesitancy in Rick's words. She figured, him being a police officer and all, he wasn't used to being asked questions, so she didn't say anything about that. In fact, she didn't say anything at all.

"But I rather have this conversation elsewhere, if you don't mind," he continued. "Some place where I don't have to keep looking over my shoulder for things that might want to kill us."

Addison nodded. She could very much respect that for she also felt more than just a bit uneasy ever since they stepped out of the truck. And it was only when they were back to the safety of those locked doors that Rick spoke about that matter again.

"Before we found the prison," he began when Addison steered the Ram through the same streets they passed by a few hours ago and got back on the road. "We were staying in a farm, Hershel's farm. We ended up there after Carl got accidentally shot by one of Hershel's men while we searched for one of our own who had gone missing. Her name was Sophia and she was Carol's daughter..."

Rick then proceeded to telling Addison a good part of what they had been through. He could have just told her that Hershel's farm got overrun and they lost pretty much everything, including some of their own, but that would mean he'd also just say how he had killed his best friend and that could end up with him looking like a psycho and he wasn't that. So Rick chose to tell her everything, right from the beginning; but not exactly the very beginning, when he woke up in that hospital, just the relevant things.

For several minutes, Addison didn't say one word or made any sounds. She just kept driving and shifting her eyes between the road and the man by her side. She heard in complete and utter silence when Rick explained about Sophia and how after days of searching the woods, they ended up finding her in the barn along with a bunch of other walkers that Hershel still believed to be humans; sick people. She heard about their encounter with two other survivors and how ruthless they were; and a kid named Randall, who was part of the men's group. She found herself pursing her lips and gripping tightly onto the steering wheel when Rick spoke about what that Randall guy had told Daryl about what the men from his group did to some farmer's daughters. Her knuckles were white and she felt rage bubbling inside her in a dangerous manner, and she even felt relieved when he told her that Randall, much like the two other men he had encountered at a bar, had died.

Addison learned then about an old man named Dale. Judging by how highly Rick spoke of him, he should have been a decent man and, even though she never got to meet him, she felt upset when he told her he had died. She heard about a man named Shane, who seemed a decent person at first, but ended up losing it.

"I killed him." His voice was barely above a whisper and, for a moment, Addison believed she had imagined that. But then, Rick spoke again. "He forced it on me. He led me to a field, away from Daryl and Glenn, and had it all planned. My best friend wanted to kill me... He drew his gun on me and held it up, pointed straight to my chest. He forced it on me... I didn't want to do that."

Addison had to figure out what his last words were for she had barely heard them and she found herself frowning inwardly and outwardly when it hit her.

Every single word he had said about Shane and what happened to them sounded an awful lot like an explanation; it was as if he was explaining himself to her and it bothered Addison to no end. He didn't have to explain why he did what he did and how he did it; he was a grown up and he knew enough about that to make up his mind. It wasn't up to her to judge him.

But then it hit her. She had asked about what happened — _that_ happened. Addison tried to think of something for her to say, but came out empty. Her mind had suddenly gone blank.

"Then the farm got overrun," Rick continued. His tone damn monotone. "We lost a lot. The house, practically all of our belongings, but most of all, we lost people. Jimmy, Patricia, Andrea... We almost didn't make it."

"But you did."

Rick looked at the young woman by his side and found her dark eyes fixed on him. They were warm and understanding and looking into those deep orbs made Rick let out a long and tired sigh.

"Then I told them about the infection, how we all carry it and they all stared at me like I had suddenly grown a second head or a tail. And when I told them about Shane..."

"You said you used to be a police officer, didn't you?" she asked abruptly.

Rick quirked an eyebrow as he looked blankly at her. "Deputy Sheriff, yeah."

"That's what I though. So I'm going to go ahead and assume I don't have to tell you about self defense."

After a second or two, Addison looked away from the road and met Rick's blue eyes still gazing intently at her.

"Self defense," she echoed her own words. "If someone tries to kill you, you try to kill them right back."

Rick's expression changed from an empty stare into a dubious frown in less than a heartbeat. "If someone tries to kill you, you _try to kill them right back_?"

"I may be paraphrasing," she said simply with a shrug. Against all odds, her nonchalant words and easy demeanor almost made Rick smile. His expression softened a bit but Addison just carried on, not really noticing anything. "Don't beat yourself up all that much about it, Sheriff. You did what you had to do to protect yourself, your family and everyone else."

Rick kept his eyes on the brunette for a few more seconds before looking away. A ghost of a smile played with the corner of his lips; he couldn't tell how nice it was to hear that. Everything Addison had said was exactly what he had in mind when Shane cornered him and things went crazy, but afterwards, he felt as if he had done something awful, if most of the group's reaction was anything to go by...

But Rick was done worrying about all that. It would do no good and it wouldn't change anything so he might as well stop thinking about it altogether. And so he did.

"So, now that you have an answer to your question, have you reached a verdict?" He asked, changing the subject to something that was worth his time. "Are you still leaving?"

Much like Rick, Addison didn't deliver an answer instantly. Instead, she inhaled deeply and bit on her lower lip. Sure she had her question answered — and it was one hell of an answer she thought — but did she change her mind? Running a hand through her hair, Addison still didn't know. And Rick could sense that from the way her expression changed into something more serious; and her silence was better than any answers she could concoct.

"You know, Daryl isn't half as bad as he appear to be," Rick added; his tone of voice was soft and rather appeasing. But despite it all, when he found her dark eyes gazing at him, he couldn't read her for nothing in this world. Her expression was as blank as an empty canvas. "He's kind of rough around the edges," he continued when Addison just stood there, staring at him. "And a bit tough to deal with sometimes, but that's... that's Daryl. It takes a while to get used to his blunt behavior, but-"

It took her a moment to understand what exactly was going on and, when she did understand, Addison was left speechless.

She didn't know how or why Rick had come to the conclusion that her sudden desire to go her own way had anything to do with that infuriating redneck named Daryl Dixon, but he did. And it was only now that she had noticed that, while he was talking about everything they've been through thus far, Rick mentioned Daryl _a lot_. He told her how he went looking for Carol's daughter, Sophia, in the woods practically every day and even got injured a couple of times because of that, how he had showed mercy towards Dale and had stepped up and humanly put him out of his misery when a walker practically ripped him open, how he had proven himself to be a dependable man and trustworthy... It all made sense now.

Rick was still advocating in Daryl's defense when Addison shook her head and interrupted what seemed to be a rehearsed speech. "Rick, I understand what you're doing and why you're doing it. But this, it is not about Dixon."

As soon as she had said those last few words, Addison felt Rick eyeing her dubiously. "It isn't?"

"No," she said sternly. "I know you heard us 'talking' the other night, but it isn't about Daryl. He may have influenced it, but he sure as hell isn't the reason I decided to leave."

"Then...?"

"It is like I told you," she said. "I was impossible for me to miss how solid your group is. You all care about each other and fight hard to protect each other. But at the same time I felt that there was something between you, something that separated you, if it makes any sense... And I could almost feel the tension growing during those couple of days I was there. Daryl just worked as a catalyst. He and his blunt behavior."

It made sense. As much as he wanted to disregard it, Addison's words made sense. What she said about something bringing them apart was true, even the growing tension that had settled was true. Most of it had dissipated by now, but did he blame her for wanting to stay far as hell away from people judging her and looking strangely at her? Absolutely not.

Silence settled for a few seconds; it didn't feel awkward, just... quiet. By then, neither Addison nor Rick were thinking about much. It had all been said and done. Well, almost.

"So," Rick said after a while, when they were approaching the prison once again. "I presume your answer is still the same."

He wasn't asking.

#

After a couple of hours after he woke up, —or maybe it wasn't that long— Daryl couldn't stand staying in that prison any longer.

The atmosphere in there was getting heavier and heavier and, even though he could understand everyone's concerns, Daryl just couldn't put up with it. There was Lori's constant complaints and annoying questions about her husband's whereabouts —like anyone knew any more than she did as to where the hell Rick had gone to—, there was Carol, who wasn't being half as annoying as Lori, but she wouldn't keep from frowning whenever she glanced at where the truck had been parked... Daryl was just thankful that the blonde toddler wasn't up yet, but he could only wonder what it would happen when she noticed her auntie Dee-Dee had left.

Not really looking forward to witnessing such thing, after everyone was up and starting to get busy, Daryl excused himself and headed back to the one place he could find some peace — Georgia's woods.

Out there, with the fallen leaves crushing beneath his feet, the familiar smell of pines and nature, the cold winter breeze rustling his vest and trees and playing with his hair, Daryl felt as if he didn't have to try so very hard to shut the whole world off.

There were no awkward silences, worried looks or strange atmosphere; it was just Daryl and the woods, just like he was used to. That was his element. He worked better when he was there, and alone.

But he was never really alone.

Even though he tried to shut the small voice in the back of his head, it was there. It wasn't as talkative as it had been as of lately, but there nonetheless, manifesting itself whenever Daryl heard a different sound, and on a couple of times when he, somehow, missed the target.

_What if she got bit?_

Daryl was slightly thankful for his subconscious being unable to refer to Addison by her first name; it'd only make things stranger and more complicated and he was not looking forward to any of those things. He had strange and complicated all on his own. But he couldn't keep his anxiety from going slightly out of control for a second or two whenever he heard the sound of twigs snapping or leaves being crushed.

What if the next walker that crossed his path was someone he knew? What if it was _her_? He knew it was unlikely since she was with her car, but the what if's weren't doing him any good.

And then, there was Rick. Daryl tried really hard to come up with some reasonable explanation as to why Rick had vanished like that, but he didn't think he was succeeding...

If things were different, Daryl would've just assumed the former Deputy Sheriff decided he had had enough with that crazy woman he had for a wife, packed his things and left. But things weren't different, Rick hadn't packed anything (even though there was little to be done in that department) and it just wasn't like Rick to just check out. He was a decent man, and even in this apocalyptic world, even after learning about Shane and Lori's affair, he had stuck with his beliefs and stayed.

So, if he hadn't just left, there were a couple of other alternatives and they were just... odd. For instance, say Addison left. So Rick could have probably gone after Addison. But if he was to do that, the most obvious thing to do was to take a car to keep up with her pace. But all of their vehicles were still inside the triple fences, even his brother's motorcycle, so that was an unlikely theory.

So, maybe Addison could have sneaked out of the prison and left her truck behind. Even more unlikely than the previous idea, but anyway. Say she left by foot, then Rick wouldn't go after her with her own truck... or perhaps he would, maybe he assumed she had left some sort of trail behind or an indication to where exactly she would've gone to, but then again, it didn't make any sense Addison leaving her truck with all of her stuff behind...

If Shane was still alive, then maybe Daryl would've assumed he had managed to disappear with both Addison and Rick so he could come up with whatever crazy stories as to how the two of them rode off into the sunset together.

For some ungodly reason, the memory of Addison and Rick having what seemed to be a friendly conversation the night before flashed before his eyes. Daryl's forehead wrinkled at that.

Could that be it? Excluding the Shane part, would Rick ever do something like that? He and Addison seemed to be on friendly terms, which was kind of surprising given the Randall situation they had to deal with not very long ago... Could Rick Grimes that kind of guy?

_Well, it sure as hell would make a lot more sense than the other theory I have left which is "Rick trying to get rid of Addison himself"... that makes zero sense._

Daryl shook his head. All of that thinking had left him with a brutal headache and no answers whatsoever. Only more nonsense to fill his already messed up mind.

He assessed the string he'd been carrying ever since he left that prison, God only knows how long ago. Three squirrels and two rabbits. Daryl could almost consider that a good hunt, if only he could forget about everything he had thought of.

#

It was evident that, by the time Daryl returned to the damned prison, his mood had dropped significantly.

The hunter's features were twisted in what seemed to be a permanent scowl as he stomped his foot, crossing the length of the patio.

Before he could even realize what he was doing, Daryl scanned the area; his lips turned into a hard thin line as he became acutely aware of the still strangely empty area as continued with his steady pace. Daryl wasn't even glancing sideways for didn't want to encourage anyone to approach him, but he noticed a small group gathered a few feet away from him.

From the five people, he only distinguished Carol and Hershel; the rest of them had their back turned to him and Daryl didn't think of looking twice or tried to see who they were. When he caught a glimpse of a cascade of long dark hair, he figured it was just Lori still bitching about Rick's disappearance and he was not in the mood for that. He didn't have the patience to deal with any of her shit right now.

But then, as Daryl was walking towards Merle's motorcycle, he heard something that made him stop dead on his tracks.

With his crossbow slung across his left shoulder and string of game on the right one, Daryl raised his head, looking straight at the entrance doors of the cell block. But he didn't have to see them to know who they were.

"... Did you even think about your son? Did you think about Carl or... or what he would think when he woke up and his father was gone?!"

"He wouldn't think anything. I'm sure you would've thought of something to tell him by then..."

Then, as he stood there, Daryl saw Rick turning his head away from Lori and his expression changed when he saw the hunter standing there.

Daryl watched as Rick exchanged a few more words with one pissed off Lori Grimes before he turned his back to his wife and walked with long and steady steps towards him.

"Hey," Rick said as he approached Daryl.

Not really sure he could open his mouth and say something that wouldn't sound too harsh, Daryl just nodded in reply as he adjusted the strap of his crossbow.

"Glad to see you're still here," Rick continued when he noticed the other man wasn't saying anything. "You weren't anywhere when I got back, I thought you had chosen to leave, too..."

Even though he was convinced that Addison had left, Daryl couldn't tell how he felt when he heard those words from Rick.

"Too?" He asked, shifting from one foot to another. But then, something made Daryl frown; if Addison was gone, and Lori was right there just a few seconds ago, then who was with Carol and Hershel...

"Yeah," Rick replied simply. Then, he saw the confusion written all over Daryl's face and added, "She didn't leave, though... She's right there."

For a couple of seconds, Daryl didn't do anything. He had heard Rick's words and he had seen him indicating with his eyes where she was supposed to be, but he didn't do anything. He didn't know what was it that he wanted to do...

Last night, she'd said she would leave him alone and would not bother him again... But this morning, when he woke up and found her gone, it bothered him just the same, and even though she wasn't there anymore, she also wouldn't leave him alone. She was there, in every corner of his mind, haunting him.

Then, when he finally snapped out of his thoughts and glanced over his shoulder, he found her dark eyes looking back at him. Onyx eyes were hard, just like he remembered from last night, but now he noticed something soft about them at the same time; they were stern and gentle, cold and warm...

It didn't last longer than one second, but when she finally looked away, Daryl felt something stirring inside him, and he swallowed hard. When she was around, she bothered him. When she was gone, she bothered him. Would that madness ever be over?

* * *

**A/N:** I'm not really sure if there's a city named "Trinity" in Georgia; as far as I'm aware, it is just product of my imagination, but I can be wrong, so... I hope you guys are okay with it.

Thanks for everyone who's still reading. I didn't do much edit on this chapter because I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer, and I do not have a Beta reader so pardon me if there are any awful mistakes or errors.

And feel encouraged to share your thoughts on this story; reviews make my muse very happy.


	20. Time has come today

Thank you everyone who's reading and thanks for all the reviews for my last chapter (and yes,_ IndigoFades_, Firefly reference! So happy someone got that c:) and all the nice words; you guys are the best. Seriously.

I am truly, deeply sorry for going on an unplanned hiatus, but my muse abandoned me and I didn't know what to do for a very long while. I've managed to write this new chapter. I don't exactly love it, but I'll try to make it up to you with the next one.

* * *

**XX. **_Time has come today_

"Hey girl..."

Addison had been absentmindedly pushing the food around on her plate and she didn't even notice when someone approached her.

For the past few minutes or so, she had been sitting on the grid of the guard tower with her back pressed against the solid and cold wall and, apparently, completely unaware of the world. That is, until T-Dog showed up and brought her back to reality.

"Oh, hi there."

"Hiding up here?" He asked, but instead of sounding like an accusation or an inquiry to check whether her intentions were good or not, T-Dog's words sounded casual, like he didn't really care what her answer would be.

"No," she said rather automatically, not exactly thinking about his question. "No, I wasn't..."

But, as she sat there, Addison could feel T-Dog's eyes fixed on her. She wasn't looking at him but somehow, she could tell he had one of his eyebrows arched and he was silently letting her know, if she was trying to fool him, she was not succeeding.

A couple of seconds later, Addison placed the nearly empty plate on the grid next to her and let her hands rest on her thighs tiredly. "Well, maybe," she added, tilting her head back so it was resting against the cold wall as well.

"Why's that?" he asked curiously. But, before she could answer, he indicated the empty place next to her and simply asked: "May I?"

Looking at the young male and where he was pointing at, Addison nodded. "Sure. Go ahead."

"Thanks... So," T-Dog said as he occupied the spot to Addison's left. "Why are you up here, isolated from the world?"

"I'm not isolated," she said defensively.

"Oh, no... You're just avoiding human interaction."

Addison felt a pang of guilt hit her as she registered T-Dog's words. Even though she didn't intend to do that, all of her actions, ever since the day started may have given them the impression that she was avoiding everyone... Sure, she had thought of leaving, but it wasn't because she couldn't stand being around them — well, at least not _all_ of them. And she didn't seek the solitude of the guard tower to shut everyone off; she just merely wanted to sort some things out, like how she could avoid Lori and Daryl.

"I was not..." Addison began, but her voice faltered before she could finish that sentence; how could she explain that to T-Dog without sounding like a total bitch or making him grow suspicious of her again?

She turned to look at him, searching for traces of doubt or perhaps even distrust but instead, she found nothing but brightness and amusement in his dark eyes and perked up lips; he was messing around with her and, apparently, he couldn't help but find her reaction entertaining.

Addison's expression eased, and when T-Dog chuckled, she indulged a smile when it was clear enough that he wasn't judging her or anything slightly like that.

"Everyone's looking for you," he began, but didn't go too far; Addison didn't give him the chance to.

"Everyone?" Her tone was measured and calm, but it was clear as day that she didn't believe that in the slightest. She could point out a couple of 'people' who didn't want her there, not even if she was painted in gold.

"Well, most people," T-Dog corrected himself.

Addison could sense his discomfort, and she tried to ease it with a low chuckle. "And why is it that they're looking for me?"

"Glenn has returned with your truck and Rick is searching for you so we can unload it."

Addison had to remind herself to breathe. "I'm sorry, but... why does he need me for? If he wants to unload then tell him to go right ahead."

"Rick was a cop, and I think he wants you there so you can see we're not taking any of what's yours..."

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," she remarked.

"You think so? I think it makes sense."

Addison didn't say one word in reply. If things were different —if the circumstances and the world they were living in were different— she would never have said those words. But nothing was different. Nothing had changed and she was still stuck in that crazy nightmare that she just couldn't wake up from...

T-Dog had been watching Addison from the corner of his eyes and noticed when her demeanor changed. He couldn't tell what was it, but he knew something had disturbed the young brunette and it made him shift awkwardly.

"So... what is it gonna be?" asked a very hesitant T-Dog. "Are you coming or...?"

The first answer that came to Addison's mind was no. She didn't want to go and help Rick unload the luggage. If anything, she had hopes that, once Glenn and Maggie had returned from their little drive back to the Greene's farm (or what was left of it), Rick would just do it himself, perhaps with the assistance of the rest of the group, but she was definitely not counting on his principles kicking in, especially when they were living in such fucked up world... But he was a police officer, so of course he had held onto his beliefs.

Addison wanted to say no to T-Dog's question; she knew, if Rick heard it, he would understand. And even if he didn't, even if he decided to go talk to her himself, she knew she could just say a few words and convince him she didn't care if he took her stuff — in fact, she'd be damn glad if he did that.

But she didn't say no. Instead, the word that escaped her lips was a yes. A very clear and unwavering yes for that matter. And maybe T-Dog wasn't expecting that either because the moment she agreed, his eyebrows furrowed slightly and a befuddled expression plastered on his face.

"For real?" he blurted out.

She watched him out of the corner of her eye. Addison couldn't decide whether the look T-Dog was addressing was amusing or annoying. She decided to go with the first one; there were enough people who annoyed her and T-Dog wasn't one of them.

"For real," she echoed his words and reached out to retrieve her almost plate. "Now let's go before I change my bloody mind..."

#

The now familiar creak of a heavy door being pushed open made Daryl's attention leave the map he'd been studying with Rick and Glenn for the past few minutes and turn his head towards the concrete construction that sat close to one of the gates.

Bringing his hand up to his forehead to cast a shadow upon his eyes, the first thing Daryl noticed was T-Dog leaving the guard tower, and he didn't even have to look twice to know who was coming with him: Addison was walking right behind him — although, to say she was "walking" could not be the most accurate choice of words.

After she returned with Rick, Addison had excused herself so she could have a shower (pretty much everyone had cleaned up by then, and she was pretty eager to do the same) and change her dirty clothes into cleaner ones (she was tired of walking around with blood and sweat and dirt and grime). She picked a clean pair of dark blue jeans that did not seem to be from the feminine department of any clothing stores, a white, long-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of mid calf black boots with small heels. Now Daryl was completely daft to fashion or anything that was slightly related to the matter, but he didn't think she could have picked simpler clothes to wear; however, despite the simplicity of her wardrobe, it was like she was walking down the runway, showing off some fancy designer's dress and not crossing a prison's patio, with the wind blowing in her face and making her now clean hair flutter behind her, moving in compass with her steps; long, unhurried and effortlessly gracious steps.

Daryl wanted to kick his own ass (sure as hell, if Merle was there, he would have done it himself and with an offensive grin plastered on his face) for having such idiotic thoughts.

That is until he heard a surprised "woah" and he turned to see Glenn with an equally idiotic look plastered on his face, his eyes following T-Dog and Addison. For some unspeakable reason, Daryl didn't feel exactly relieved when he learned he wasn't the only one thinking about those things.

Daryl Dixon's eyebrows had been slightly furrowed until now because of the sun and the brightness from the map that was covering practically the entire hood of Rick's old Chevy which bothered his eyes and that large silver truck that was parked closer to where they were standing. However, as he stood there, he caught Glenn's eyes and all too soon, the Asian kid's facial expression turned into one of surprise mixed with guilt which left Daryl at a loss.

He had no idea why he was looking at him like that, but didn't exactly want to ask him. _Some questions are better left unanswered_, the small voice in his head quickly reminded him. But what was Glenn apologizing for? Because Daryl was pretty sure that, after their eyes met, the Asian kid said he was sorry. Why was he sorry? It wasn't like anything had happened. They were just looking at the map and were just debating whether they should explore the woods further (kind of like when Sophia went missing, minus the missing person). It just made zero sense, so...

"Hey... I heard you were looking for me. I'm here now."

Daryl blinked a couple of times and he noticed what she had just stated. Addison was now standing right in front of him. Well, technically, she was right in front of Rick, but Daryl was by his side so it was almost the same. _How the fuck didn't I notice her approach? I can spot a damn squirrel on a stupid tree over ten feet away... How. The. Fuck?_

He was so... mad with himself because somehow, his refined hunting skills failed him and what if he was in the woods and it happened again? What if he was in a life or death kind of situation and his mind decided to take a break and let his guards down? What if he didn't hear a walker creeping up on him and he ended up getting eaten? Or even worse, bitten?! It would be the end of Daryl Dixon... and he only noticed he had done it again when Addison's voice reached his ears, and it was a tad higher than before.

"I seriously don't care if you take anything that we didn't take from Trinity. As a matter of fact, I'd be glad if you just took everything."

"But it's your stuff..."

"Not all of it," she cut him off. "Look, Rick, I understand what you're doing and why you're doing it... it is very decent of you, but I can't." A sigh escaped her lips and, for a split second, Daryl thought she looked in pain. Like real physical pain. "I can't take part in it... Not yet."

Daryl's eyebrows knitted together. What the hell was she saying? All Rick was asking was for her to help or just stand there and make sure we weren't unloading any of her stuff. He wasn't asking her to do it all by herself... but that was as far as he went. Because, at that very moment, as he looked at her and saw hints of distress in her onyx eyes, he understood. Looking at Addison and seeing her hesitancy, Daryl understood why she _couldn't_. He should have understood it from the beginning, after all, he had seen how it had affected her when she shuffled through her belongings to find some food for them all on the first night she stayed with them, and then, difficult it had been for her when she went to her truck to take the heavy black coat she gave to him. It all happened just a few nights ago, but it felt like ages...

Guilt washed over Daryl; for almost judging her just now and then for being a complete brute to her when he returned said coat back to her. Addison couldn't do what Rick was asking not because she didn't want to pull up her sleeves and help with that simple thing; it was because of what she'd been carrying in the bed of the truck. Ghosts. Ghosts that, apparently, still haunted her.

"Alright," Rick said, and his tone was so calm, reassuring, so... _understanding_ that it made Daryl look away from Addison, who was trying to remain stoic about all of that, and at the profile of the dark haired man.

Although he was seeing only half of his face, Daryl could tell that Rick had also reached the same conclusion he had.

"Alright then... you can rest assured we won't touch any of your belongings. I'll make s—"

"Actually," she interrupted him once again, although her tone had significantly changed. It was softer now. "I was going to ask you the exact opposite," she said and Daryl wished she didn't nibble on her lower lip like that — it was rather unnerving. "The black luggage belonged to Nick so it should have things you'd probably make better use than... So, take it. If you want to. Take it all."

The way her voice faltered, keeping Addison from saying everything she intended to say and then, how she managed to put her mask of tough girl back on, was rather... odd. Everyone who was there and had witnessed everything couldn't help but feel a mix of empathy and some strange sense of pride. They were proud of themselves and each other because, after all, who hadn't lost someone ever since the outbreak of the zombie apocalypse? They all did. They all grieved at some point, and they all found strength to carry on. It was not different that what they were seeing. Clearly, Addison was upset, but despite her own pain and sorrow, she didn't stop being strong.

"I sure can do that," Rick said wholeheartedly. "Thank you."

"No," Addison replied, her voice still soft as silk. "Thank _you_."

Then, much to Daryl's surprise, Addison blinked and looked away from Rick... and straight at him.

Daryl didn't know what hit him the hardest: if it was the fact that she had stopped pretending he was invisible and, for the first time since their discussion the other night, she actually looked at him, or if it was the emptiness he saw in her dark eyes.

It was quite disturbing to hold the eye contact, but he succeeded... for about three seconds. But Daryl wasn't the first to break it, though. No. It was the very opposite actually; Daryl couldn't bring himself to look away from her dark eyes. They were like two small dark holes, pulling him towards it, sucking him into it despite his efforts to look away — and he tried to look away. How he tried.

But when Addison blinked and looked away, Daryl was left with this foreign feeling that he couldn't name or put his finger on. Again.

.

As Rick and Glenn removed the hard cover of the bed and T-Dog along with Daryl took all bags that there were on the bed of her truck, Addison couldn't bring herself to speak. Or move, for that matter. She just stood there, with her back turned to them, arms folded across her chest, eyes fixed on the woods ahead, not paying attention to what was happening behind her. And they noticed. They all noticed what she was doing...

"We're doing the right thing, right?"

Breathing out slowly, Rick rolled Glenn's question around in his brain for a couple of seconds. His first thought was that yes, they were doing the right thing. They were helping Addison to move on, whatever that meant. But as he watched her cascade of raven hair brush against her back with the wind and noticed how her head was slightly tilted up and how her shoulders seemed stiff as steel, he began to understand what Glenn had meant when he asked him that.

Now, Rick had no doubts that Addison was strong. But, after everything she went through, after losing her best friend... was she being strong, or she was just avoiding the facts?

Perhaps she needed to be there. Even though it should be painful as hell, perhaps Addison needed to be a part of that so she could... assimilate the loss.

"I mean... we're not messing everything even further. Are we?"

Rick turned his head so he met Glenn's worried eyes.

"I hope not," he answered truthfully. That was the best he could do, the best he could say.

#

Addison tried really hard to shut off the world — or at least just the tiny part of the world that she had literally turned her back on to. She knew she should be the image of stupidity right now, with all that "avoiding the bags" crap, but Addison didn't give half a fuck. If they all wanted to judge her, then they could go right ahead; she did not care.

No one knew what she was going through. Rick Grimes was the only one that had an idea, but that was about it: an idea. Even though she knew about him and his best friend Shane, his story didn't come close to hers.

One of the reasons why Addison couldn't face anything that remembered her of Nick was because he was the best part of her. Without him, she wasn't good. Like a yin without its yang, without Nick, Addison was unbalanced.

_Unbalanced. Will I ever regain my equilibrium again?_

The question danced around in Addison's head for a few moments before she closed the curtains, interrupting the show.

That was a question to which she had the answer. And it wasn't a cheerful answer. There was nothing cheerful about any aspects of her life nowadays... if it could even be called a life.

Letting out a soft sigh, Addison brushed all of those thoughts away. It didn't make any difference to keep thinking how wrong it all was; it wouldn't make all those undead magically disappear, it wouldn't provide them with food and safety, it wouldn't change the fact that they were in a prison and it sure as hell wouldn't bring them back to where they were six months ago. So, what was the point of keep thinking about that? She would only stress out even more.

Taking a deep breath, Addison fixed her gaze on the view outside the fences. The sound of wild life and the sight of something that had remained untouched filled her with unexpected peace of mind.

The quiet woods, the smell of grass and pine, the wind rustling in the trees, the sound of the leaves brushing against each other brought back a memory that Addison had almost erased from her mind, so old it was... She remembered of when she was younger and she went to Ireland with her grandfather and he taught her how to ride a horse alone and she had spent so many days on the fields, occasionally tormenting the sheep from Mr. Clery — he and his wife owned the farm next to her grandpa's and, surprisingly enough, he allowed Addison to "help" him with the sheep sometimes.

Addison couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Mr. and Mrs. Clery... She had spent the best part of her last seven years in Europe, but not once she thought of visiting them. A pang of guilt hit her hard, and she could only wish the friendly couple were either safe and sound, or long gone. It was harsh and a somewhat horrible thing to say, but really, was it harsher or more horrible than this? She didn't think so.

A low sigh escaped Addison's lips. Despite her attempts to think of something else, it would always lead her to this. She was starting to get real tired of that vicious circle, and standing there, like a freaking useless statue wasn't helping matters. If anything, it was making things worse.

She didn't need to stand there, she needed to do something. Anything, or else she would soon snap and go mad.

#

Despite his doubts whether it was the right thing to do or not, Rick lived up to his promise. It didn't take them more than ten minutes until the bed of the Ram was empty. Well, nearly, since they didn't take the gasoline or most of the weapons; they just pushed everything aside and the few shotguns they took off were quickly placed back because they weren't theirs to begin with.

They were just deciding what to do with all those bags —whether they should take everything into the building, or just place it all in the cars in case they need to evacuate the place without further notice— when they heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Rick, may I speak with you for a second?"

Even though she had made it very explicit that she wanted to talk to Rick, everyone stopped what they were doing to look at the young brunette. If her all too rigid body expression and the stern look in her dark eyes was anything to go by, they would all say Addison wasn't feeling one bit comfortable.

Their suspicions were confirmed when she accidentally glanced at the rather big pile of bags, backpacks and cases. Addison sucked in a deep breath while looked back at Rick; back and shoulders straightened up and head held high.

"Sure," Rick agreed and reached out to Addison. Gently placing a hand on her shoulder, he walked her a couple of steps away from where Daryl, T-Dog and Glenn had stayed. He didn't need to be an expert on the art of reading people to see through her act.

"Is everything okay?" His voice was just a whisper and he meant his words; he wanted to know if she was fine, especially after that small conversation he had with Glenn.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Yes, everything is... fine... did you get everything?"

"Yes. I believe so."

"Good..." The tone of relief that could be picked from that simple whispered word was so evident it made Rick's heart ache a little. He felt as if he was back to his days as Deputy Sheriff in King County and he had just told a frightened and scared person they'd caught some scumbag who had harmed her or one of her family members or someone she cared deeply for; there was relief, but there was also some hurt.

Rick kept his eyes on the woman in front of him. Addison had her head down now; she was staring at her boots and her shoulders had slumped a little. She seemed vulnerable, frail perhaps... Maybe that's what was necessary for her to grieve.

"Good," she murmured once more before inhaling deeply and raising her head to look at Rick. "Thank you."

"Any time."

His words were reassuring and he even reached out and gave her shoulder a soft squeeze. Addison nodded absentmindedly, and Rick was just about to return to where his friends were patiently waiting for him when he heard her voice again.

"There's... one more thing... I gotta go out."

Rick turned around so he was looking at her once more. As he studied her, he debated whether she had really said that, or if he was hearing things. Didn't look like he was hearing things.

"What did you say?" he questioned dubiously.

"Out," she echoed. "Past the fences. I gotta go out there."

"Yeah, I understood that much when you first said it, but... why?"

Rick couldn't fathom why on Earth she'd ask for something like that. Sure she had made herself very clear that the tension that hung upon their heads resembled a very dark and stormy cloud, but this couldn't be about that.

"I need some time..."

Nope. This was most definitely not about that. Not at all.

The way her dark eyes were fixed right ahead, Addison was clearly trying to ignore what was lying at her back, and she was resolute in not glancing over her shoulder. Not that she had to do so; it was visible on her stiff stance that she was bothered by it.

"I get what you're saying, I honestly do. But, seriously, do you think it's—"

"Wise?" she quipped in. "Well, I'm certain you find it reckless... but don't worry. I'll be fine."

Did Rick believe her? Not quite. She didn't seem fine here and now, how could he possibly believe she would be fine, out in the open.

"Honestly, Addison," Rick began as he shifted the weight of his body from one leg to the other. "I know you're an independent woman and can defend yourself if you have to, but I don't think I can let you do that. It's dangerous."

"Honestly, Rick," Addison said, voice low and measured. "I appreciate your concern, it really means a lot to me... but I wasn't exactly asking for your permission."


	21. Promising promises

Thank you so much everyone who's reading this story! I have no words to say how happy I am to see that you're giving this a chance.

Here's a new chapter and I'm not particularly happy with it but it's the best I could do (I think). I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**XXI. _Promising promises_**

Addison was busy checking and re-checking every single inch of her bow to make sure it was fit for use and was just about to go through all of her twenty four arrows, one by one, when the sound of footsteps approaching made her focus split.

She knew who it was even before she heard him say one word.

"What d'ya plan on doin' out there?"

Inhaling deeply, Addison started to count to ten mentally.

"Why do you care?" she asked rather coldly while pulling three bolts from the quiver that was resting against her thigh. "Oh, wait. Unless you don't really care. You're jus—"

But whatever speeches Addison's brain had been able to concoct during those three seconds of silence after she heard Daryl's question were interrupted when said hunter threw his hands up in the air.

"Woah!" He nearly shouted, but there were no traces of anger in his voice. Well, at least not as much as Addison was expecting. "I jus' asked a question."

Addison heard what he'd said, but she wasn't really sure if she believed him. Even though she couldn't see any traces of deceitfulness in his eyes or body language, why would she believe he was just asking a question? That did not sound like the Daryl Dixon she had seen for the past couple of days... Not by a long shot. But Addison gave up trying to come up with an answer to that question almost instantly. She was tired — emotionally tired — and another discussion was something she was not looking forward to.

"Whatever you say, Dixon," Addison replied, voice void of emotions.

Daryl watched the young woman, sitting the piece of log on the green area of the patio, sorting out her arrows. Ever since he laid eyes on those unusual weapons, Daryl had been wondering if she could actually use those or was just carrying it around just for the sake of it; apparently, she did know what to do with those things... And even though he was itching to ask the very obvious question, he pushed it aside and asked something else instead.

"So... why?" He was still curious to know what exactly was going through that head of hers. "Well... no one's eager to go... out there," he added when her piercing dark eyes found his.

Addison sat straight and even let the arrows she'd been inspecting rest on her legs. "Apparently, you were."

Suddenly, Daryl felt uncomfortable. Somehow the conversation turned to him and that was something he had not been expecting. He didn't like talking about himself, especially to someone he barely even knew.

He grimaced. "'s different."

"Why?" Addison asked exasperated. "How the hell is it any different? And if you say it's because I'm a woman, I swear to God..."

Daryl narrowed his eyes a little.

"I wasn' gonna say that." He lied. That was one of the reasons as to why he believed it was different, but did he think it was wise to say it? Hell, no.

If she was going to stay, than he'd decided that he should at least try a little harder to accept it, and starting a new argument did not seem like the best way to do that.

He could feel her scrutinizing eyes, studying him very carefully, hunting for any indication of insincerity, and it made Daryl shift on his place. He knew she didn't buy his words, but it was terrible to just stand there. It was like someone, Addison, was looking at him through some sort of magnifying glass that enhanced all of his fears and insecurities and, damn, they were more than just a far few.

Even though he didn't want to, Daryl averted his eyes. He had tried to buck up and hold his head up high but that was too much. Never in his life had Daryl felt so uncomfortable; not even when Merle would make fun of him because he couldn't get himself a girl. Hell, he'd pick Merle and his offensive words over that anytime and that was saying something.

With a shake of his head, Daryl turned his back to Addison. He was just about to walk away when her low voice made him stop on his tracks.

"There are a few reasons," she said, her voice was low, almost a whisper. "Why I want to get out— there..."

For a couple of seconds, Daryl just stood there, eyes locked on the woman sitting on a piece of log, absent-mindedly checking her bolts. In all honesty, he wasn't expecting to hear anything from Addison, and when she actually gave him an answer, he was left speechless. But it wasn't just that: it was the way she spoke to him. She had kept her tone soft and her head down; not for a split second she looked up at him. Now, Daryl was no expert when things were about Addison, but that did not look like her. Not at all. Not by a long shot...

He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, his right hand scratching the back of his neck. That was so weird.

Daryl struggled with the awkwardness of the moment but ended up deciding he should say something. She had given him an answer in the first place, and it sounded like the right thing to do, even though words weren't Daryl's strong suit and he had no idea what to say.

"I, uh— I'm sorry," he blurted out after a handful of a very uncomfortable silence. And things became twice weirder when her hands stilled and she raised her eyes. Daryl swallowed hard. "Ya know, 'bout your boyfriend..."

It was as if time had slowed down. The few couple of seconds that were filled with nothing but the sound of the wind brushing against the trees, the occasional chirping of birds out in the woods and the faint sound of footsteps were the longest both Daryl and Addison had the fortune (or not) to experience.

Daryl didn't know what the hell else he could do or say and he just stood there, probably looking like an idiot whilst staring back at Addison. He couldn't help but stare — it was getting really stupid...

But the same would go for Addison. For quite a long while, she couldn't do anything different than sit and look. She just sat there and held his gaze. She was having quite the hard time processing what had just happened — better yet, what he had just said.

At first Addison thought she was just hearing things because, frankly, every time Daryl had opened his mouth and spoke to her, something suspicious, offensive or just downright rude came out of it. It wasn't as if Addison disapproved of that. Not at all. If he didn't like her, then he didn't like her, she certainly did not need to hear veiled courtesies. And while Daryl didn't seem to be the kind of person that'd ever do that, that was exactly what it looked like — or more so, sounded like, because when she searched his eyes and overall expression for some sign of insincerity, she found none.

_Could that really be?_

Addison was struggling with all those mixed and confusing thoughts that she only noticed she'd been quiet for too long when the sound of a twig being snapped brought her out of her trance. It was only then that she also noticed he had been chewing on his lower lip, and she had been staring at his lips.

Blinking a couple of times, Addison averted her eyes, forcing herself to stare at her bolts while trying to ignore the sudden warmth that she felt spreading through her entire body.

She was just about to say something very generic like 'yeah' or just shrug it off when something snapped in her mind and she ended up saying a confused: "What?"

Yet again, Daryl was thrown in a loop. Why was it that Addison couldn't just be less like an interrogation point and more like a period or something? Why did she have to make him feel as if he was dumb as shit?

"What what?" He was seriously regretting his decision to try to talk to her. A normal conversation between two civilized adults. That was not going well in his very humble opinion.

"What did you say?" Addison replied blankly.

Her words were simple and clear — there were no rooms for misinterpretations —, and even though her voice came out a bit dull, her furrowed eyebrows were telling Daryl she was either confound or mad. He wasn't sure of the first one and wasn't willing to risk the latter off just yet.

"I said I'm sorry." Daryl's words were more than just a little bit hesitant. He had no intentions of unleashing whatever raging creature that lived inside that woman, and he was also feeling uncomfortable as he said it again. It had been strange enough to say it out loud once, twice then...

"No," Addison said, shaking her head softly. "Not that." She had understood that when he said it the first time. In fact, it was his unexpected apology that had left her stunned until three seconds ago, more or less. "The other part."

Once again, Daryl shifted. For some reason, he didn't want to say that again.

"... 'bout what happened your boyfriend," he said awkwardly. The word sounded strange in his lips. It was as if he was trying some food that he just couldn't eat, so awful it was. It wasn't a nice feeling. "Must've been hard to—"

Daryl was trying to make things less awkward but Addison didn't let him finish what he wanted to say. She jumped in the middle, interrupting him mid-sentence.

"Nick wasn't my boyfriend."

Her eyebrows were softly arched and she had this odd look in her eyes, Daryl thought to himself. But more than the Addison's odd look she was addressing him; her words were dancing around in his head, taking over his thoughts. He couldn't fathom why, but he kept hearing those four words, over and over again, like an echo.

"He was my best friend and stood by my side through the darkest of my days so yes, it was hard indeed... but what makes you think he was my boyfriend?"

Now Addison was genuinely curious. Daryl wasn't the first person to incorrectly assume that very same thing, but he barely knew her — or Nick for that matter. Placing all of her inspected arrows back in their place, Addison sat straight.

Daryl didn't know what hit him the hardest; if it was some sort of self-consciousness that took over him, making him feel so embarrassed he had to glance at his dirty old shoes for a few seconds, or if it was the strange feeling of the multiple knots in his stomach disappearing all of a sudden, the unpleasant sensation he had experienced just moments ago magically lessening until he was filled with some sort of quietness. He was embarrassed, but he couldn't remember ever feeling so at ease.

However, despite of that unusual sensation of easiness, Daryl was once again struggling with words. It was crystal clear that Addison was waiting for him to say something but he didn't know what. What had made him think Nick was her boyfriend? What had _not_? Rick had said she had cried while they discussed that subject, she was always emotional whenever she talked about her past or even approached the truck that held things that belonged to him and how she reacted when she laid eyes on everything they had taken from said vehicle - it seemed too obvious...

Daryl was about to ask if she was joking when a high pitched voice calling out for "auntie Dee-Dee" made him forget about it altogether. Both Daryl and Addison turned their heads to see Analeigh sprinting towards them.

"Dee-Dee!"

"Hey, sweetheart." Addison wrapped her arms around the little blonde that was suddenly holding onto her for dear life. "What happened?" she asked softly while rubbing Analeigh's back.

"Mr. Grimes said you're leaving," she whispered sadly against her shoulder.

Addison was rendered speechless for a moment. Why would Rick tell her that? He was a parent, he sure as hell knew how to deal with little kids and their never-ending questions, so... why?

She was still trying to understand what had just happened when Carol joined them.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

Addison raised her head to look at the older woman. She was about to ask what she was sorry for when she noticed the apologetic look Carol was addressing her.

"I recognized some of your luggage," Carol continued. "And I asked Rick about you. I didn't notice Analeigh was near... I am so sorry..."

Addison's expression eased. That made a lot more sense than Rick just blurting out her plans to a five year old.

"It's okay," she told Carol in an equally soft tone while still holding Analeigh. "You didn't do anything wrong."

And indeed Carol hadn't done anything wrong, but that didn't keep her from feeling somehow responsible for what was happening. Even though Addison had reassured her that things were okay, the sadness in Carol's eyes was still there; it hadn't faded one bit. Undoubtedly, Carol cherished and cared for that little girl with all possible love she had within her. She should have been a great mother, Addison thought to herself. And she'd probably be a better mother figure to Analeigh…

It was almost as if Analeigh could listen to her thoughts because the very next moment, the little girl tightened the embrace around Addison's neck and she was abruptly pulled out of her thoughts.

"It's okay, baby," she whispered on her ear, while caressing the back of her blonde head. "It's okay..."

Analeigh loosened the embrace and pulled away, only so she was looking at Addison."Are you really leaving?"

"I'm not leaving, sweetheart." Addison pushed a strand of stray hair behind her ear. "I'm just going out for a little."

"No..."

Analeigh bowed her head and snuggled up to Addison. Even though she couldn't see the little girl's face anymore, Addison knew she was upset.

"It's gonna be okay, Annie," Addison said in a reassuring tone as she closed her arms around the kid's petite body and rocked back and forth softly. "I'll come back, like I always did... It'll be just like old times, remember?"

"No, it won't..."

"Yes, it will, baby."

"No, it won't," Analeigh insisted. Then, before Addison could say anything, she loosened the embrace so she could look Addison straight in the eyes and added solemnly: "Uncle Nick's gone, Dee-Dee. And I don't want to lose you, too..."

Analeigh's tiny hand reached out to cup Addison's left cheek; the little blonde was on the verge of tears and, by then, so was Addison. Her heart was aching inside her chest and it was getting hard to breath. Not just because of the mention of Nick, but because Addison could see in Annie's grey eyes that she was hurt, and she was the one responsible for the little girl's suffering.

Looking away from Analeigh for a moment, Addison found Carol's eyes locked on them; a pair of sad blue eyes reflecting the same pain that she had seen in Annie's grey eyes. The ache inside her chest increased... just like the need to get out of that place. She was hurting everyone with her selfishness.

.

All this time, Daryl had stood there like a statue.

He felt as if he was in the middle of something private and he should walk away and leave the three of them by themselves, but he couldn't. Something was holding him back.

And so he watched when that little girl, innocent to its core, held tightly onto Addison almost as if her life depended on it. And in some ways, it did. Who knows what would've happened to that little girl if the two of them hadn't crossed paths. Maybe Analeigh had thought of that herself, because what else would have caused her to mention her Uncle Nick's death and link it to Addison wanting to go out?

_Smart kid..._

Then, the atmosphere changed abruptly and, much to his surprise, Daryl was affected as well. Not as much as it affected Addison or Carol or even the little Analeigh, but when he saw the turmoil that was taking over the three women gathered next to him, Daryl felt as if a hand was squeezing his insides.

It was unsettling and, for a brief moment, he considered fleeing towards the woods, far from that place... But when his eyes accidentally landed on Addison, something inside him snapped.

"I'll watch her back."

He fell silent once his ears registered what he had just offered. What exactly had just happened, Daryl had no idea. He didn't have time to think twice; the words simply rolled out of his mouth.

To say Daryl was surprised by what he had just said was an understatement. But nothing would ever compare to what Carol and Addison must have thought or felt as they heard his words.

Both women turned their heads and stared at Daryl in disbelief. They were probably weighing what he had offered and maybe considering if they were having some king of collective hallucination. Even Analeigh let go of Addison's neck and turned to look at the man that had just spoken. And it was only when her big grey eyes found Daryl's blue ones that he stopped feeling embarrassed by having Carol's and Addison's eyes fixed on him.

That little girl, Analeigh, she was the reminiscent of something that Daryl had long ago stopped believing in. Even before the world was assailed by this disease, whatever it was. She was the innocence he believed was lost. She was the pureness he didn't think he'd see again. In the middle of this hideous, chaotic and cruel world, that little girl with blonde hair and fair skin was the exact opposite. She was hope, and he'd be damned if he'd see something so sweet as Analeigh to wane.

Dropping to his knees, Daryl tried to ignore the little audience he had next to him.

"Hey... you ain't gonna lose your aunt Dee-Dee." His words were so gentle and his tone was so soft and low that not even Daryl recognized his own voice.

.

Addison was rendered speechless.

Who was that man and what did he do to the uptight, insufferable redneck that went by the name of Daryl Dixon?

She was so taken aback by that sudden — and much unexpected — display of decency that, for a moment or two, she just sat there with her mouth hanging slightly open, staring at the man that had got down on his knee and was speaking directly to Analeigh.

And it was the little girl that brought Addison back to reality. After a few seconds that felt like minutes, Addison felt Analeigh's small hands grabbing her fingers.

"Dee-Dee..."

No other words were necessary and Addison soon understood what was going through Analeigh's mind — she was slightly afraid of Daryl.

"It's okay, Annie," she said in a calm and even tone. Addison wanted to say that Daryl was nice, but didn't. Instead, she just gave the kid's hand a soft squeeze and nodded shortly when her grey eyes searched for some reassurance. It was the best she could do.

Daryl stood his ground and watched silently as the little girl turned to face him again. She was biting on her lower lip and holding tightly onto Addison's hand the entire time.

He could tell, just by the way she was looking at him, that she was scared. All his life, he was used to having people looking at him like that; it wasn't anything new to him, so he just inhaled deeply and waited. For what, he wasn't really sure.

Part of him was expecting the girl to turn her back to him and seek for protection in Addison's arms because he knew he wasn't the friendliest person ever. But then, when Analeigh finally did something, she surprised him.

The little blonde let go of Addison's hand and took a shy step forward.

"Do you promise?"

Daryl let go a breath he didn't know he was holding. He looked more carefully at Analeigh and her big grey eyes; she was looking so intently at him, waiting expectantly for his answer, and he didn't feel weird. Instead, he felt as if he was doing something right because just moments ago that same little girl was hesitant in just being around him and now it was as if she was counting on him.

Then, his eyes drifted from Analeigh and he found two pairs of eyes staring at him. Blue eyes were surprised but soft, a small smile played with Carol's thin lips. The dark ones were more careful, restrained; a mix of wonder and fear was plastered on Addison's face.

Looking back at Analeigh, Daryl found expectant grey eyes still fixed on him. She was still biting on her lower lip and she seemed nervous.

"Yeah," he said, or more so whispered. "Promise."

Those two simple words were all that Analeigh wanted to hear. Soon after Daryl spoke, her face lit up, her eyes widened and she even opened a smile.

A smile. And that was something he was definitely not expecting.

Daryl Dixon had nothing against kids. In his opinion, children were just tiny little people and they were only as good or bad as the people who raised them. Once or twice he had thought how it would be like to have children of his own, but more Dixons was something the world definitely did not need. In essence, when things came down to kids, Daryl was basically neutral.

But kids apparently had things against him.

The very few times in which he crossed paths with anyone that wasn't a decade older, they usually stared at him with wide eyes and then headed the other direction; sometimes they even cried... So, long story short, children and Daryl never got along great.

And it was mainly because of that old pattern that Daryl was taken aback when the little blonde smiled at him, and then closed the space that separated the two of them and gave him a peck on his right cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered shyly as she took a step back.

It was hard to say who was more embarrassed, Analeigh or Daryl, but Addison was willing to bet anything that it was the latter. Because when Analeigh turned to run back to her arms, she could see the embarrassment written on the little girl's face - she was looking at the ground, a shy smile playing with the corners of her lips - but that was nothing compared to what she saw when she looked at Daryl. He was very flushed and seemed to be utterly uncomfortable; his eyes were wide open and he stood so still that she feared he was having a stroke or something.

Everything that had just happened surprised Addison great deal. But it was priceless; she would never forget the day that a five year old girl rendered the volatile, short-tempered, Southerner Daryl Dixon, speechless, even making him blush. The image was now burned in her memory.

#

"So... would you like to explain what was that all about?"

Addison and Daryl had been walking silently through the woods for about ten minutes now and that was the longest she had managed to keep her mouth shut.

That one question had been bothering her ever since Carol had taken Analeigh back inside under the pretext of helping her with some chores, but Addison knew that Carol was just making things less hard for both Addison and Analeigh, but especially for the latter.

Daryl, who had been walking one step ahead of her the entire time, let out an annoyed grunt and kept walking, exactly like Addison had expected him to react.

It was her time to sigh out of annoyance. She should've learned it by now that it was useless to try to understand that man. He was as consistent as jelly. One moment he was nice and the other he was an ass...

_At the end of the world, I needed to be stuck with this man..._ Addison whined mentally as she kept an eye on the ground, looking where she was stepping. _Daryl Dixon. Out of all people. Why couldn't I stumble upon... I don't know... Ryan Gosling? Things would be so interesting if I had the fortune to be stuck with Ryan Gosling. I wonder if he's still alive... I sure hope he is because I'd hate to shoot him._

Despite her not so cheerful companion, Addison found herself having quite the good time. She was out in the woods and it had distracted her to the point of letting her thoughts wander back to lighter things.

But what is it that people say? All good things come to an end?

The smallest of all smiles that had settled itself on Addison's lips was quickly wiped off when the ominous sound of the living dead reached her ears.

Out of instinct, Addison ducked and looked around, searching for the source of the sound and Daryl, but just her luck, the man was nowhere near her.

"Fuck!"

* * *

**A/N:** if you guys can help me, there's something I'd like to ask you. I know the timeline of this story is different from the TV show and sometimes I question my choice of taking this path and everything, but here's the thing: do you think it'd be _too weird_ if I started to insert some bits and pieces from the current story line of the TV show? Because I'm seriously thinking about doing it to not diverge too much from what's going on (and because, whether I like it or not, watching the show gives me ideas and it's hard because I'm far from following their story line)...

Anyhow, thank you for reading, reviews make me happy and hope you all have a nice weekend (especially because tomorrow is THE WALKING DEAD DAY BABY! BOYAH!)


	22. Uncharted territory

Thank you everyone who's reading this story. I very much appreciate all the feedback I got from last chapter and all the opinions I got. Thanks a lot for that.

Sorry for taking this long to update; it's becoming a thing lately and I don't really have a good explanation for this except that I was very unsure of this chapter. Still am to be fairly honest, but I decided to go with it because it gave me a few ideas for the next one.

Without further ado, here's a new chapter!

* * *

**XXII. **_Uncharted territory_

Daryl kept walking through the trees, keeping his eyes locked ahead. He'd been hoping to find some squirrels or perhaps a deer if he was lucky, but that was just one of the things that were occupying his mind. The others were Analeigh and Addison.

Addison and Analeigh were two things that Daryl was just not used to, and didn't know how to handle. The first one sparkled this something inside him that made his blood boil and he'd sometimes lose his temper while the other one was so sweet and innocent and made Daryl turn into someone he didn't even know he could be. She was able to make him promise that Addison would be fine.

Addison!

The woman that had done some pretty impressive things, such as helping them with the walkers when she didn't even know them; then helping them with the prison and finding food, even though she didn't really have to, and nearly killing herself in the process. That was the woman he'd promised to look after.

Sure, judging by the things she'd done, she did need someone to look after her or else she'd get herself killed at some point because she put herself in all sorts of dangerous situations. But still.

Addison...

Daryl furrowed his brows when the image of her kept returning to his thoughts and her name didn't leave his mind. It was only then that he noticed that it's been a while since the brunette had spoken to him.

As he threaded further into the woods, the expert tracker was starting to regret not giving the woman an answer. She'd been quiet, way too quiet ever since then and Daryl started to wonder if she was giving him the cold shoulder treatment.

But, in his defense, he didn't know how to respond to her question.

Would he like to explain what was that all about? Not particularly, but he could have tried if he knew what was that all about, or if he knew how to explain all that without sounding like an idiot. Because that's pretty much how he felt.

Despite Analeigh's surprising reaction, he felt really stupid for offering to keep an eye on Addison. Not because she was a girl or any prejudicial shit like that... it was basically because he had been the reason why she left in the first place. If he had kept his big mouth shut, none of that would've happened.

But did he do that? No... He had to pick a fight with her. Sure she pushed him as well, but— God! She was infuriating. She could bring the worst in him and she did that so effortlessly that was just... Maddening! Just like that silence was slowly driving him insane.

Sighing loudly out of desperation, Daryl chewed on his bottom lip and tightened the hold around his crossbow.

"Look," he began as he kept walking. Small and silent steps, one foot in front of the other all the while keeping his tone low. "I don' know what that was all 'bout... I mean, it's just... there's that little girl, 'n she's... she's innocent... y'know?"

Daryl kept moving as he spoke, but, unlike his steps, his words were hesitant and every now and again, they'd falter. He didn't even have the guts to look over his shoulder and face the woman he was talking to; if he did so, she'd be there, staring at him with those dark eyes of hers and there was something about the way she openly gazed at him that Daryl didn't like. It was unsettling and he wasn't used to people facing up to him like that. There was Rick, but he was used to Rick by now.

"She doesn' deserve to live in a world like this," Daryl continued. "Well, no one does but... 's different. I didn' think someone that young would survive this sh—"

Daryl stopped dead on his tracks. He had glanced at his left because he had thought he'd seen or heard something, and as he did so, his peripheral vision caught something that made his heart start racing in his chest.

"Addison?"

Turning around, Daryl noticed that he was alone. All alone. Addison wasn't there.

"Holy shit... Addison?!" Raising his voice a little as he called out her name, Daryl made a 360 degrees turn trying to find the woman but it was useless.

_Great, Dixon, _he scolded himself mentally._ Fucking great. You were worried about sounding like an idiot, now guess what? You're not an idiot. You're an ass. You make promises and you don't keep them. What an asshole you'll look when you return and she's gone._

Cursing himself inwardly and outwardly, Daryl tried to think. How the hell could that happen? How did he not notice her disappearance?

"Addison!"

But yelling wasn't being helpful at all. If anything, Daryl wanted to kick himself because it was a very stupid thing to do. He would only attract walkers, and if Addison wasn't already in trouble, then the chances of that happening would significantly increase, and the same would apply to him as well so, for the sake of everything, Daryl decided to shut up and search for Addison quietly.

_You can do that,_ he mentally told himself, because all of a sudden, Daryl found himself having a very non-reassuring déjà-vu.

There he was, out in the woods and trying to find someone. Yeah. That was not how he had envisioned that expedition to go down...

_Complaining is not gonna take you anywhere,_ that little voice on the back of his head spoke loudly, making Daryl stop. He stopped the pessimistic thoughts on their tracks and quickly dismissed them all so he could come up with some kind of plan.

She just disappeared a few minutes ago, so she couldn't have gone too far... right? Looking around, Daryl became aware of the woods. The area in which he was now was quite cramped. There was not too much space between the trees and, since it was afternoon and they were heading towards evening, that meant illumination could become a problem. Even though he considered himself to be an expert tracker, there's only too much to be done when you're in the dark. Literally.

_Over-thinking,_ the voice alerted. _Stop doing that. You're just wasting time._

"Right," he said out loud. "Time... Can't waste it."

Searching the ground, Daryl found his own trail in a matter of seconds and started to retrace his own steps so he could find the point in which he lost Addison and could pick up from that.

As he walked with slow and careful steps, Daryl couldn't help but wonder why exactly he hadn't done that first thing when he noticed she was gone? Why did he freeze? Daryl Dixon never froze.

Not ever.

But, much like every other thought Daryl ever had that was slightly related to Addison, he shoved them aside, although he had a damn good reason to do so for he had just found the place in which he and Addison had split.

"Damn girl," he cursed under his breath as he crouched down so he could inspect the trail a bit better.

She was right behind him and then, for some reason Daryl couldn't even begin to understand, she went astray. Addison was following him in a way that her footsteps would sometimes overlap his own...

Daryl tried to remake his steps mentally; he searched his brain for anything that he could have seen while walking or if something had made him change his way, even if only half a inch, but he couldn't find anything. He didn't remember ever stop walking a straight line, with the few exceptions when he had to walk around a tree or a bush — but even then Addison had followed him.

"The hell happened?" Daryl murmured, talking out loud as he looked around. "Where d'you go?"

With his attention focused on the trail and on his surroundings, Daryl Dixon tightened his grip around his trusty crossbow and continued to follow Addison's footprints.

Even though she was wearing boots with small heels, Daryl found himself having a bit of trouble to keep track of the missing woman after a while.

The ground hasn't changed, but the hunter couldn't help but notice that she was treading through the woods carefully. He had to keep a sharp eye on the ground, but Daryl was not complaining because that was actually a good thing. Light steps meant she was not running away, being chased by a bunch of walkers.

An unlikely thought crossed Daryl's mind and he frowned. She carried hunting weapons... Maybe she knew how to hunt? Now that was something he needed to see to believe. Addison didn't look like that kind of person; no, sir.

But still, despite his own suspicious, Daryl entertained the possibility of the upscale girl being a hunter of some sort for a few seconds, until the ominous sound of the undead made his blood run cold in his veins.

.

Out of pure instinct, Daryl brought his crossbow up and found himself aiming at the woods as he tried to pinpoint where the sound had come from. He looked around, scrutinizing the area, and followed the moaning, ever so slowly and trying not to make too much noise.

It was hard because he was stepping on dried leaves and sticks, but after a few handful of seconds, Daryl found what he was looking for. But, when he did, part of him wished he had not.

Rooted to the spot, Daryl Dixon watched helplessly three walkers gathered around a body. Feeding on it. Ripping whoever it was apart.

As he stood there, Daryl felt as if it was his life being ravished by those vicious creatures. He couldn't think straight anymore. Actually, he didn't think he could think anymore. There wasn't one single thought in his head and even that annoying little voice was silent. Dead silent.

The only thing he could do was watch.

Daryl didn't know if it was Addison, someone else or some_thing_ else that was being devoured by those flesh-eating undead, but he didn't really know if he wanted to know.

Somewhere deep inside he knew that, if it wasn't Addison, he could keep walking, keep searching... but _what if it was?_

What if it was Addison and those things had caught her when he wasn't paying attention?

Daryl swallowed hard and when he did so, he felt as if an invisible pair of hands had wrapped themselves around his neck and were squeezing it hard. To a small extent, it was painful to swallow; it was painful to breathe in deeply. He had never felt like that before, and he sure as hell didn't like the feeling.

The dreadful feeling of helplessness that had hit him unexpectedly. If that was Addison, then her death was on him and her blood was in his hands.

His eyes were glued to that morbid scene that was still unraveling before his eyes, and he noticed when a female walker dug her rotten dirty hands into the corpse and pulled a handful of intestines. Daryl felt his stomach turning into knots when he saw the walker bringing the remaining to her mouth, devouring it like it was the best thing in the world.

If Daryl was a tad weaker, his lunch would be now scattered on the ground — and he would probably be the next thing those sons of bitches would want.

The prospect of being the next course on those damn walkers's menu made Daryl's brain start thinking once more and he set his mind.

Bringing up the crossbow that he had inadvertently lowered as he came across that unpleasant view, Daryl Dixon inhaled deeply and aimed at the head of the walker that was standing in the middle.

His blood was rushing through his veins once more and he was determined to put down every single one of those freaks. He could hear the pounding in his ears and he had to focus a little bit harder for his brain was now racing, and had to hold his weapon a little bit tighter for his hands were shaking slightly.

Slightly narrowing his eyes, Daryl coached himself to breathe in and out, slowly and steady. His breathing was slightly louder than the usual, but it wasn't as if he wasn't listening. He was deaf to the entire world right now. The only thing he was going by was the strange and very powerful desire to kill what was, technically, already dead.

_So... would you like to explain what's that all about?_

He was just about to pull the trigger and let the bolt cut the air and rip through the walker's skull when Addison's question suddenly flared to life, making him lose the timing.

"Dammit!"

It sounded exactly like her. So much that Daryl felt a pang of remorse hitting him hard. If only he was paying attention...

Cursing everything and everyone in his mind, Daryl tried to get his shit together.

Why the hell was he thinking about those things? He had already told himself it was all because that little girl and his idiotic promise...

_A promise that ya ain't gonna keep,_ he though bitterly. And, once again, his thoughts sounded one hell of a lot like Merle. _Just like ya promised that old lady you'd find her little girl 'n things would be jus' fine... Need ta learn when 'n how ta shut yer damn mouth, little brother._

"Don't fucking patronize me," Daryl muttered under his breath.

Hearing his brother's voice in his head was only adding to the shitload of things that were making Daryl feel like crap. He didn't need Merle giving him moral lessons. In fact, Merle was the last person in the world who would ever have the right to do such thing, because even though Daryl had fucked things pretty badly, Merle's pile of fuck ups was way bigger than Daryl's.

Shaking his head, Daryl managed to shut down that annoying voice and he brought his crossbow back up.

Merle could be gone, but the same thing could not be said about the growing anger that was still making his blood boil. It was an unsettling feeling and his older brother had only made it worse. Because even though he wasn't one to point out other people's mistakes, Daryl knew that Merle was not all wrong.

"Fuckin' dammit!"

As he leaned against the tree he'd been standing close to, Daryl shut his eyes closed for a second. The walkers were about five feet away from where he was standing, and because he'd kept himself near a rather big tree and they were still... feeding, they hadn't noticed his presence there.

They hadn't noticed his presence there... so he could leave.

The walkers were... busy and Daryl, as an expert tracker, knew fairly well how to walk around without being noticed — well, at least by deer, squirrels, rabbits... but walkers were less than that; they were less than animals. They were literally just rotten carcasses and he sure as hell could find a way around that.

_But what if that was Addison?_

There it was: the very bottom of his current problems.

Daryl hated himself a little more every time he considered that possibility, but he couldn't close his eyes and turn his back to that. No. If that was Addison —God forbid—, he needed to do something, and he needed to do it fast. Maybe take her back so that everyone could say their goodbyes and maybe a small service...

The image of an improvised cross fixed upon rummaged ground made Daryl shiver. Somehow, for some unknown reason, he felt his throat closing in on him, his lungs shrinking beneath his rib-cages and, once again, it was hard to breathe. Hard and painful. But more than what he felt, Daryl realized the worst thing was what was going to happen: he was about to break a little girl's heart...

_The hell is the matter with you?! You don't even know if that's her!_ The voice inside his head scolded him. _Now stop being an idiot and fuckin' do something!_

Furrowing his brows, Daryl pushed his body away from the tree and loaded his crossbow once more. Even though he hated his conscience or whatever that stupid voice was, it was right.

He didn't know if that was her and he really needed to fuckin' do something. But more than that, he couldn't help but wonder what the hell was the matter with him...

Taking a deep breath, Daryl Dixon took a small step to his left; his eyes widened at the view. There weren't three walkers anymore... they were six now.

"The hell?" He whispered as he used the big tree to keep him unseen. Six?! Where did those come from now? He didn't hear anything.

Then, as he searched his brain in a vain attempt to remember anything that would tell him he had not zoned out completely and, he heard the soft sound of leaves being crushed somewhere behind him.

All of a sudden, Daryl was back to his hunting mode. Narrowing his eyes a little, he placed his finger on the trigger, adjusted his grip on his weapon before turning around.

"I won't even say a word because, this time, I had this coming..."

Daryl gaped. Good thing he didn't shot first to ask questions later, because standing right in front of him, was the very same person he believed was being devoured by those five damned walkers.

"I thought..." Daryl began but did not finish. First because he was still surprised that Addison wasn't dead, and second because he noticed how she shut her eyes closed and somehow he knew she only did so to not roll her eyes at him.

"Not the time or place for thinking," Addison murmured while looking around nervously. "We gotta get the hell out of here."

Addison's agitation made Daryl snap out of his shock. He didn't even have to ask how the hell she knew that because he'd just seen half a dozen of those creeps, he did not need to see any more. With a short nod, Daryl took a small step forward. He sure as hell didn't want to stay one more second there if it wasn't completely necessary.

Things were so messed up.

* * *

**A/N:** Yeah, sorry about this... I am disappointed in myself, also.


	23. Dark is the night

Because I was very frustrated with my last _so-called_ "chapter", I decided I really needed to make things better. I'm not sure if this is making things better, but I sure as hell tried to do my best.

So, new chapter (and in less than a week! _**Booyah!**_) And hopefully, this one isn't half as bad as the last one was. Once again, sorry about that, thanks everyone who's reading and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**XXIII. **_Dark is the night_

"It's getting late..."

Rick had to muster all of his strength to not sigh loudly when he heard Carol not so casually mentioning the time again.

He was perfectly aware of the fact that the day was coming to an end and soon would ne night. It wasn't like he could ignore it anyways. The bright blue sky had acquired a slight darker tone now; it wasn't that bright any longer and the horizon line was tinged grey. The sun had already disappeared from the sky.

It was getting late. Too late in fact, and he hadn't seen any signs of Addison and Daryl yet.

"They're fine," Rick said after a few seconds.

He knew Carol's comments were because she was worried about both of them. He knew it because he was worried as well.

He shouldn't have agreed with Addison when she said she wanted to go out. Sure she didn't leave him no choice because, as she had said so herself, she wasn't asking for his permission, but that was not wise.

"They're fine," he echoed his own words.

If there was anyone Rick Grimes knew that could survive out there was the younger Dixon.

Despite being volatile, short-tempered and hard to deal with at first, Daryl was a person who knew how to fend for himself and he had a particularly useful set of skills that would ensure his survival, even these days. What Daryl had said about Merle back there in Atlanta worked for him as well; the only thing that could kill Daryl was Daryl.

However, Rick couldn't tell how Addison would be outside. He wanted to believe she was tough as nails, but what did he know about her? What did he _really_ know?

That she had this insanely strong need to protect people, even those she barely even knew. That she wasn't selfish. That she tried to be strong all the time and that almost cost her her own life.

While those were very decent and honorable traits, could she survive out there? Sure she managed to get through this outbreak thus far, but she had some help... and now he was her help. Did he do the right thing not standing his ground and telling her to stay there, where she was safe?

Regret and fear hit Rick like a brick wall. If something happened to her, it would be his fault. Unlike Shane, if Addison didn't make it, then it would be on him...

Looking up at the sky, Rick could see a few stars showing up already.

_C'mon... Where are you?_

#

"This place is crowded," Addison muttered under her breath as she peered through the small opening of a window.

A frustrating sigh escaped her lips as she rubbed her face with her hands. She and Daryl were stuck in a small cabin, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by walkers.

After making a quick escape from the small gathering of walkers a couple of hours ago, a small horde of decomposing bodies got in Addison's and Daryl's way back to the prison; the only bright side —if there was any— was that the walkers didn't see neither one of them because they were heading towards the same direction the two survivors were.

So they tried to find some other way out of that place, but the light was wearing off and there seemed to be more walkers wandering around.

Daryl had suggested them to get back to the road and head towards the gate; surely whoever was on watch would see them and they would help them to get back to the prison safe and sound, but Addison dismissed that idea when she pointed out the fact that they were approximately twenty minutes away from the road, that is without the "speed bumps" that would likely appear on their way. Even though Daryl would have loved to argue with that, he knew Addison was right. Her sense of direction was pretty good for a girl with an accent.

Then, after a brief discussion as to what the hell would they do next, Daryl remembered seeing a small cabin near a stream. It was nearest than the road and it seemed like a fairly decent option — better than to get stranded in the woods at the night with those flesh-eating bastards.

"Well, you can start getting comfortable," Addison said in a very dissatisfied tone as she walked away from the window and let her body fall heavily on the worn out and rather dusty couch that sat in the middle of the room, but she was too tired and frustrated to care. "I think we're here for the long haul."

Surprisingly enough, that cabin had some decent furnishing, such as the couch that Addison was currently laying on, a two place table, where Daryl was cleaning his crossbow, there were some appliances like a stove and a fridge and some cabinetry; although there was no food stored anywhere. The living/dining/kitchen areas were all one single space, but there was another room that consisted of a bedroom, with a double sized bed and a wardrobe, plus a bathroom.

But the furnishing and anything else that the house had was the last thing that Daryl was thinking about. In fact, he sat there on the table and meticulously checked his crossbow only to keep his brain from thinking too much. It had become a thing lately, and a thing that he was not keen on.

All he wanted to do was to get out of that place alive. And the sooner the better. However, his wish was not granted when he heard Addison's displeased remark about "getting comfortable". Even though they weren't out in the open and had, against all odds, managed to find that cabin with little to zero trouble, he did not want to spend the night there. There were a considerable number of walkers creeping around — and there was Addison.

Daryl wasn't great with people. He knew that much and wasn't going to deny it; he was horrible when things came down to living in society and all that crap. Even with the group back at the prison, Daryl had had his moments, and things could get kind of awkward, even nowadays. But that woman, Addison... God, she was something else entirely. She had the ability to drive him mad just by hanging around, however he couldn't just shut her off... well, technically, he could, but she was part of the group now. _She was part of the group now._

Damn. The group. What would they think when Addison —or should he say "_Addie_"— didn't show up for dinner? Daryl shook his head. There would be hell to pay when they returned. And Analeigh? _Holy f—_ Daryl wanted to bang his head against the table repeatedly. The little blonde. God, she should be devastated...

Looking away from his weapons for a second, Daryl risked a glance at Addison. The room was barely illuminated by a kerosene lamp that he'd found in the bedroom and lit up to help him with his crossbow, but mostly as a precaution; they didn't know the place and keep tripping over the furniture was a safe way to let the walkers know there were people in that cabin — living, breathing people.

However, despite the semi-darkness, Daryl had no trouble distinguishing Addison's silhouette; he felt stupid by thinking that way, but the while long-sleeved shirt she was wearing beneath her leather jacket seemed to almost glow in that dimly lit room. She was still on the couch, eyes shut closed, hair falling over the dusty arm of the furniture and, from what he could see, a not so cheerful expression plastered on her face...

Then, something that felt an awful lot like remorse hit Daryl like a brick wall and he had to avert his gaze.

Sitting there, with the sole company of his weapons and thoughts, Daryl couldn't help but think he was better off alone. He broke every single thing he touched — even those things he did not touch ended up harmed somehow. Why was he... the way that he was? A Dixon, right to the very core?

He sighed and placed his crossbow on the table. He didn't have to check it —he had barely used it—, he just needed something to do, to keep himself busy, to keep his _mind_ busy. But, apparently, his mind had some plans in its own and decided to busy itself with something else. Or rather, someone.

Leaning back on his chair, Daryl pinched the bridge of his nose. All of a sudden, his head started to throb painfully. He knew why, though. But he cared not to dig too deep on the matter. Strange things could crawl out of that hole if he did so...

So he just sat there. For a handful of seconds, Daryl Dixon sat there, eyes fixed on nowhere but never letting his guard drop. It's been a strange day and he couldn't afford getting distracted anymore. It was because of his momentary lapse of judgment that they ended up there. Well, sure as hell Addison had her share of blame on that but...

As soon as the name crossed his face, Daryl turned to look at the woman once more. Addison was lying statuesquely on the couch and she had not moved one muscle.

Daryl squinted. _How could I not notice she was gone?_ He scolded himself mentally. _She was right behind me... How the hell I didn't hear her trailing off? How the f—_

Then, as he went through those same unanswered questions all over again, Daryl's eyes landed on her face and he felt as if the thin cold fingers of dread here tracing the length of his spine and he shivered.

Maybe it was the lack of illumination or maybe it was something else entirely, but he could swear that Addison's pale skin looked even paler. _Ghost-like pale._

Daryl blinked a couple of times, shoving all those morbid thoughts aside. That woman was not dead. Not five minutes ago she was complaining about everything... She was still alive. If he looked carefully enough, he could see her chest rising and falling as she breathed in and out steadily.

Inhaling deeply, Daryl leaned back on his chair once more. With his eyes still fixed on her resting form, he finally was able to convince himself she was still breathing... Addison was still breathing and then, she was opening her eyes and standing from the couch.

Almost instantly, Daryl searched for something to get busy. He also made sure to look elsewhere while thanking whoever was listening for that nearly dark cabin. The lack of light did wonders to hide the very inconspicuous look in his face.

He'd been staring at Addison.

#

Carol watched with worried eyes and a heavy heart the little girl standing by the open door of the cell block.

The five year old blonde had taken that place roughly about an hour ago and hadn't moved one muscle ever since. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her plush toy while her eyes were intently fixed on the horizon.

With no exception, Analeigh had not acknowledged anyone who tried to talk to her out of her guard stance. She would mutter a few words whenever people stopped by and tried to tell her that there were people on the guard towers and they would let them know when Addison returned —usually monosyllabic words and her tone was disturbingly calm— and that was about it. She wasn't leaving her ground. Not even Carol could convince her to get out of the biting cold weather and get inside.

"Little Annie and Addie may not be related," Maggie commented when she joined Carol and Lori to help finishing dinner. "But both girls have quite the attitude..."

Carol shifted her gaze so she was looking at the oldest Greene sister. "They do, don't they?"

Maggie found Carol's blue eyes and she offered the older woman a gentle smile and nodded. "You know what else they have in common?"

Carol didn't say anything, she just shook her head.

"They're both strong."

The older woman bit her lips together. She knew that much; she knew that Addison and Analeigh had been outside on their own for a while and they had managed to overcome a great deal of obstacles... but that didn't mean she was comfortable with them being out there. Quite the contrary.

Carol worried and cared about those two girls. And it was pretty unsettling to know that Addison was somewhere outside those fences and it was heartbreaking to see that little blonde girl standing there, expectantly waiting for Addison's return.

"Besides," Maggie added after a few seconds. "Addison's with Daryl."

Daryl.

Carol was also very concerned about Daryl Dixon. She knew he was a strong and very independent man, but she feared for his well-being.

He was a good man and had been through so much already. There was Merle, Sophia, Dale... and she had seen enough to know he didn't have an easy life even before the outbreak.

"And as far as I'm aware, if there's anyone who can survive out there, it's Daryl." Maggie was even able to put on a small smile as she said that.

Carol found the strength to smile back at Maggie, even though there was nothing remotely cheerful about her smile. "I know," she said quietly as she turned her attention back to the beans that were cooking on a pot they had taken from the kitchen earlier today, along with some other things that they used to set an improvised kitchen on their cell block. "It's just... I wish they didn't leave. It's crazy out there."

Despite her wanting to comfort the other woman, Maggie knew there were no words to refute her statement. Because that's what it was: a statement.

There were walkers everywhere, humans losing it and becoming almost salvages... It was crazy out there indeed.

"I know... but we have to have some faith," Maggie said, lowering her tone a little. "I mean, I know it's hard, but..."

Biting on her lip, Maggie's voice trailed off. She was trying hard to hold onto things like faith and hope. She didn't want to lose it like Shane had; she didn't want to believe it was all lost. Even though it was hoping against all hope, Maggie knew it was the only think keeping her sane, the only thing keeping her going, fighting. She needed to believe that there was something left, somewhere.

Pushing all those thoughts aside, Maggie turned her head and found Analeigh standing at the very same place.

The little girl was unyielding. She believed. She should be worried like they all were, but without a doubt she believed Addison would return. That's why she stood there, faithfully. Maybe they should be a little bit more like Analeigh. Have a little faith.

#

"Would you stop?" Addison asked slightly annoyed when Daryl walked over to the window for the umpteenth time.

For the last half hour or so, Daryl had walked towards the window and squinted so he could look through the small opening, checking if the walkers had picked up on their scent or anything like that.

To some extent, Addison understood why he was doing that; they couldn't get accommodated because they were in a hot zone of walkers... but he didn't have to do that every five seconds. It was unnerving.

Daryl looked over her shoulder to find Addison sitting on the couch, at the same position she'd been for the past few minutes. Not taking Daryl's advice, she had taken off her boots, but left them near in case she'd have to put them back on; bringing her legs up to her chest, she had her arms wrapped around them and just sat there, eyes fixed on the empty fireplace right in front of the couch.

"For God's sake... you pacing around and constantly peering through that crack isn't making things any better," she added, but quickly averted her eyes when he turned around to face her.

Daryl frowned. There was something off about Addison, but he couldn't exactly name what that was.

Maybe it was how she sat there, staring into the darkness, completely silent. Maybe it was how she would let her chin rest on her left knee after a few moments. Maybe he was just uncomfortable for being there with her... Whatever it was, it kept Daryl from making a snarky comment about how someone needed to keep an eye on those walkers, after all, it was just the two of them, no one else to cover their sorry asses, or how she sitting there wasn't helping either. Instead, he just grunted a bit and walked over to the table, occupying the chair that he had claimed his.

But, unlike Addison, Daryl couldn't stand the stillness. It bothered him. It was something that went against his nature. He needed to do something; he needed to get busy in order to keep his thoughts away from more urgent things, like the fact that he was thirsty and starving for example.

But his head was already hurting like a mean bitch and he knew he couldn't ignore that much longer. Sighing, Daryl stood from his chair and walked over the sink. Some things could not be ignored and he didn't want to add dehydration to the shitload of crap he had to deal with. No, sir.

However, before he could reach the tap so he could see if there was any water in that place, Addison's hushed voice cut through the silence, making him stop on his tracks.

"What are you doing?!" she asked in a quiet but exasperated tone.

Daryl's eyes found Addison's and, if the circumstances were different, he would have laughed at how she was looking at him. Well, maybe not laughed, but he wouldn't have looked at her with contempt, he thought.

"The hell does it look like I'm doin'?" he replied impatiently. "I need water."

Daryl was about to reach for the tap once more when Addison spoke once again.

"Well then, why didn't you say anything?"

A very confused looking Daryl Dixon turned to look at the young woman once more. He watched when she reached for a satchel that she'd been carrying through the woods and had left on the couch. Daryl's confusion changed into surprise when Addison pulled a small bottle of water from the bag.

"Here," she said, handing over the bottle so he could take it.

However kind was Addison's offer, Daryl didn't take it right away. He frowned and just looked at her. He never really understood women, but he was a hundred percent positive he would never understand _that_ woman. One moment she was chiding him for being cautious, the next she was hissing at him because he had needs and then being kind. Who on Earth could follow?!

Addison kept looking at Daryl, who just stood there, seemingly rooted to the spot with a puzzled look in his face that, dare her think, was rather... adorable.

_Adorable?_ Her subconscious almost instantly snapped at her._ Really? He thinks you're some sort of child who can't look after yourself and you're thinking him adorable. What is the matter with you, woman?!_

Addison shut her eyes closed for a second and shook her head softly in a vain attempt to shut that goddamn voice. A goddamn voice that was goddamn right. What was the matter with her?

"Go ahead," Addison added after a couple of seconds, bringing herself to look at him once more. Good thing they were surrounded by darkness; the last thing she wanted was to look like a complete idiot and let him see it. "Did you not say you wanted water? Well then..."

Part of Daryl's brain was still trying to make some sense out of what was going on so, as he walked towards the couch, he could almost relate it to his hunting experiences. He felt as if he was that animal that heard the sound of leaves being crushed and was trying to decided whether to run or not when the feel of a sharp object penetrates his skin.

_Good thing she ain't handling those Lord of the Rings kind of weapons now,_ Daryl though sardonically as he reached out and carefully took the bottle from Addison's hands.

But maybe he should have been more careful for when he closed his hand around the plastic blue bottle, his fingers brushed against Addison's. For a second, Daryl forgot how to breathe.


	24. Stay close but not too close

Hi everyone! Once again, I am truly and deeply sorry for the unplanned hiatus. I wish I had a decent explanation for it, but I don't think I have one... I had to deal with a dumb tendinitis, but then I kept postponing writing it because I didn't know how to make it work.

Well, I still don't know and am very unsure of this chapter, but I decided to go with the flow and follow Stephen King's words and keep going. I mean, he did say once that _"Sometimes you have to go on when you don't feel like it, and sometimes you're doing good work when it feels like all you're managing is to shovel shit from a sitting position"._ I'm not sure whether this is good work or not but I sure as hell kept going. Feedback and constructive critique are greatly appreciated.

* * *

**XXIV.** _Stay close but not too close_

Life had taught him that ignoring the problem didn't make it disappear. It was quite the opposite.

Ignoring things would usually just make them bigger and even more complicated to deal with later. However, Rick couldn't bring himself to face the huge mess that had his marriage had become. Again.

One more time Rick saw his marriage in shambles and this time, things were spiraling down so damn fast made it impossible to keep up with. In fact, part of him didn't even know if he wanted to keep up with. I mean, it wasn't like the last time...

Last time, the crisis in their marriage was because of a problem of communication. And if Rick was to be fair, a bit of that had been his fault, all right. Through the years, his relationship with Lori had changed; things weren't like they were when they were recently married or when they were dating, but things had changed. Lots of things.

On the first year of their lives as a couple, Lori had lost a baby... It was all very sudden and unexpected and Lori Grimes didn't even know she was pregnant until she started bleeding profusely and Rick had to run with her to the ER. When the doctor on call said that she had a miscarriage, it hit both of them like a brick wall. Lori and Rick just exchanged a blank stare and, for a handful of seconds, they didn't say anything. They didn't know if there was anything to be said and, if there was, how to do that, so basically, they just stayed there, looking at each other until tears started to stream down Lori's cheeks freely and he held her in his arms for a very long time.

A couple of months passed, and still they didn't say a word — not about that matter at least. They talked, but never about that. And they weren't trying to make that go away or pretend it had never happened; it was just... too strange to talk about, even though they knew it shouldn't be like that — they were married after all, but talking about their lost baby was just too overwhelming. Think that they could have had a little girl or a little boy, who'd running around, brown hair, hazel eyes, big smile and angelical voice calling for their parents... It was overwhelming.

Sure that, two years later Carl was born and things improved significantly. Carl Grimes was the single most important thing in both Rick and Lori's life and the love they had for their son was unconditional. But, as the years passed, Rick started to question if the love Lori felt for him was just as strong.

They began to argue over small things. Only small arguments ever now and then, but it didn't stop at that. It never did. They began to argue more often and they'd fight more often until it just came to the point where Rick stopped. He stopped fighting and stopped arguing. It just seemed to be far easier, less exhausting, not to mention less stressful to just give in than to keep doing that same thing, over and over and over again...

Rick loved Lori — that much he knew for sure. The problem was: he was stuck in a situation that he didn't know how to get out. The dynamics of their lives had changed drastically. Things couldn't be more different than they used to be.

And then he got shot.

Taking a deep breath, Rick absent-mindedly brought his hand to the place where the bullet had torn through his flesh.

He still remembered the shock that it had been when he woke up in the hospital and everything was gone.

He thought he was insane and he was just imagining things, but it was all real. Scary and unbelievably real. The world as he knew was gone, much like his family.

The moment he got to his place and found it empty... That had been the darkest of his days. Sure things weren't rainbows and butterflies in the life of the Grimes, but Lori and Carl were his family. Regardless of anything that could've happened, they were the most important thing in Rick's life, and he remembered wanting nothing more than to find them.

And he did. Against all odds, he found them. And it was as if nothing had ever happened between him and Lori. They were together again, perhaps even happy again...

It was all temporary.

Rick let out a tired sigh, held onto the handrail and let his head drop. Ignoring the problem hadn't done any good in the past. But, as far as his marital issues were concerned...

"Dad?"

"Carl." Rick was roughly pulled out of his train of thoughts by his son; the teenage boy was standing right behind him, in the guard tower, eyes fixed on him. "What are you doing here? You should be sleeping," he added as he checked his watch. It was nearly three thirty.

"Couldn't sleep anymore," the young kid replied as he stood beside Rick.

"And you decided to come up here...?"

"To keep you company," he said simply. "Do you mind?"

Rick found Carl's eyes fixed on him; his son's blue eyes that were a lot like his own. A small smile played with Rick's lips. Carl was a lot like himself, both in looks and personality. He had always been.

"No," Rick said softly. "Of course I don't mind, but your mother is gonna be pretty mad when she wakes up and see you're not there..."

"Mom's freaking out about almost everything lately," the teen said as crossed his arms across his chest. It was colder out there than it was inside the cell block, even if he was wearing a brand new white sweater that his dad had taken from the supply run he had gone with Addison the day before and Carl was very thankful for that.

Rick tried his best not to laugh at his son's comment, but he failed as the small smile turned into a grin. Lori was indeed freaking out about pretty much everything lately, though in Rick's opinion, that could be considered an understatement. He didn't say that out loud though. Not to his son. He wasn't like that. Instead, he swallowed that grin and put on a more serious face.

"Hey, she's your mother," Rick said as he placed a hand on Carl's shoulder. "She worries about you..."

The former Deputy Sheriff couldn't not notice when his son shifted uncomfortably next to him. "What?" he asked, forgetting about the world beyond the fences and focusing on Carl.

The young boy chewed on his lower lip, his eyes fixed on his shoes. Suddenly they were so interesting.

"What is it, son?" Rick insisted as he bended a bit to try to have a look at his son's face. Not very effective; despite the darkness, Carl's face was mostly covered by the hat he had on.

Rick was about to reach out and take off the hat from Carl's head when the boy averted his gaze from his feet and looked straight into his eyes. "It's mom," Carl whispered.

His words sounded a lot like a confession and, to be honest, Carl felt as if he was confessing something; admitting some wrong he'd done.

"What about her?"

Looking deep inside his father's eyes, Carl felt small. In the past few months he had seen so much and he felt as if he'd grown a lot as well, but at that precise moment, he felt small. Too young, maybe. He knew he was only thirteen, but his child's days were gone. No more kid's stuff had his father said, and he was right.

"Dad, I've wanted to talk to you since that night after the farm got overrun." He said in such a serious tone that Rick furrowed his eyebrows softly.

"Okay... I'm listening."

Dropping his head a little, Carl Grimes took a deep breath. He knew exactly what he wanted to tell his father; he'd been thinking about it for the last couple of days, only he never had the chance to have a decent conversation with his dad. However, now that he had the chance to, he felt as if everything he had thought of saying was just... dull, childish. And for a split second, Carl thought of telling his dad to forget about it; forget about everything he'd said and just excuse himself out of there. But when he looked into his father's blue eyes and saw how tired he looked, Carl pushed that thought aside.

"I don't think you're doing anything wrong, Dad." It surprised Carl that, once he said that, once he started, he felt more confident to keep going. "I mean, you scared me a little when we had to camp in the woods after we lost Hershel's farm, but— I don't agree with mom when she says you're out of your depth..."

"She says that?" Rick couldn't help but ask, even though he already knew the answer. It wasn't as if Lori was trying to be subtle about how she felt about anything he did.

"Yeah," Carl replied absent-mindedly. "That and some other things... but I believe in you, dad. I just wanted to tell you that I believe you're doing everything you can to keep us safe."

It wasn't the first time that Carl Grimes had rendered Rick speechless; it had happened a few times in the past, but nothing would compare to this. Hearing those words, seeing in his eyes that he had meant every single word and that he was being straight honest with him... all of that made Rick feel as if it was hard to breathe. Not in the bad way, though. No.

That had to be the best thing he'd heard in quite a while. Carl could be just a thirteen year old kid, but knowing that he didn't think he was doing all the wrong choices and messing everything, it meant the whole world.

Rick could barely contain the overwhelming feeling that was taking over his whole being: a mix of gratitude and pride. However, even though he wanted nothing more than to drop on his knees and pull his son to him, hold Carl in a tight embrace, he did not. He stood there, stoically. It was only when he tried to thank him and his voice came out strangled that Rick noticed how much it all had affected him.

The Grimes, father and son, stood there for a minute or two, facing the darkness ahead, both soaking in everything that had just happened — Carl processing that he actually talked to his father and Rick processing everything he had heard.

Rick was the first to break the silence that had settled.

"I'm sorry I scared you, son," he said; his voice low and hoarse. "I..."

"It's okay, dad," Carl interrupted his father. "You don't have to explain it to me... I know."

"You do?"

"I guess we all have been under too much stress lately," Carl said with a shrug, which made Rick arch an eyebrow as he looked at his son.

"Is that right?" the former Deputy Sheriff asked, not even bothering to hide his surprise. Carl was only thirteen and, suddenly, he was wiser than some much older people? What gives?

"Yeah," the younger Grimes replied casually. Carl then met his father's eyes and the corner of his lips turned upwards. "I mean, that's what Hershel said," he admitted, the small smile never left his face.

Rick's lips instantly mirrored Carl's and he smiled back at his son. It was so good to see Carl smiling again, and after everything that had been happening, it was great to see him smiling at him, with him.

"Hershel is a wise man," Rick commented as he averted his eyes for a second so he could focus on the world beneath the fences. It was a silent night; maybe a bit too silent for Rick's liking...

The things he wouldn't do to hear something – or more so _someone's voice_ – cutting through that quietness, even though he knew the chances of such thing happening were of minus one in a million. Daryl wasn't careless. He and Addison probably had found a place to spend the night... Yeah. They should have found a place to stay safe. It was the only possibility that Rick could entertain. The only.

Carl nodded when he heard his father's words, but he didn't reply. He had wanted to; he wanted to tell his dad he was a wise man also, but when he saw how his face contorted into an expression of worry, the thirteen year old boy realized that his father had other things in mind, and it wasn't too hard to take a guess on what those things were because pretty much everyone was thinking about that.

The absence of people wasn't something that could be ignored that easily. Hell, it just couldn't be ignored.

When the sun disappeared on the horizon, a thick and dark cloud seemed to have settled upon the group of people that were trying to survive inside that prison. Daryl and Addison had left, and by dinner time, they hadn't returned... Another day was about to start and they were still missing in action.

"Do you think they're okay?"

That was probably not the best question he could ask, but Carl couldn't help. He'd been worried about both Daryl and Addison that he'd been thinking about the things that could've happened to them. All of them. And that was one of the reasons why he couldn't sleep.

Taking a deep breath, Rick turned his head so he was facing Carl again.

"I do." Looking intently at his kid, Rick tried to look and sound certain. If he was doing that because of Carl or because of himself, he wasn't sure.

After that, Rick Grimes fixed his eyes on the dark woods ahead, and when the midnight sky started to change into a lighter tone of blue, he found himself getting nervous. He needed them to be okay. He couldn't bear losing anyone else...

#

The sun was already up when Addison decided it was time to wake Daryl. Due to their current situation —being stranded in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by walkers—, they had decided to take turns to keep watch and, somehow, Daryl had taken the first shift. However, despite their previous agreement, he had stayed up longer than they had decided, so, based on that, Addison decided to wait a little more so he could have as much sleep as she did — or at least as much sleep as she should have had since she didn't get to sleep all that much.

Addison knew there would be hell to pay for not calling him sooner but she was willing to sacrifice a few hours of sun light if that meant he wasn't stumbling upon his feet so tired he was. And he was tired. While she struggled with the mattress for at least forty minutes, it didn't take five minutes for her to hear the sounds of Daryl's sleep. He didn't snore, but he did make some noises and he even grunted a little. It didn't surprise Addison on bit, but it helped her to stay up and alert. She needed to stay focused for there were other lives at stake there; it wasn't just about her.

_Other life,_ a small voice spoke on the back of her mind, reminding her of something she wished she could just forget. _Singular._

"Yeah," she muttered to herself as she pulled a very uncomfortable chair and placed it near the only entrance of the cabin. She had a few hours ahead before she and Daryl could get out of that place and back to the prison and getting comfortable really wasn't the best way to go about that.

So, when it was around seven in the morning, Addison left the horrible chair, crossed the empty room heading towards the bedroom, where a certain light-haired hunter was still sleeping soundly.

Pushing the door open, Addison found herself standing there for a handful of seconds as her eyes landed on the sleeping form of Daryl Dixon. He was lying on his back, right in the middle of the bed; his face was slightly turned to his right which meant she could see his features rather perfectly with the warm sunrays that were seeping through the small opening of the window and cast a soft golden glow upon his face. His left hand was resting flat on his stomach while the right one was near his face, pretty much like Kate Winslet in Titanic, when she asked Leo DiCaprio to 'draw her like one of his French girls'. But that wasn't a movie, Daryl wasn't a French girl and he most certainly was still wearing all of his clothes.

_Shame._

Addison frowned upon that thought. _What even...?_ But she was distracted from that once she brought her eyes back to his face. He looked really peaceful. His hair was falling on his forehead, a few strands nearly reaching his eyes. His eyes... She couldn't help but notice that when he was asleep, the lines on his face were much softer, barely even there. _He really shouldn't frown a lot,_ she mused to herself as her eyes trailed down his face, ending up on his mouth. His lips were slightly parted, and it was only when Daryl shifted on the bed that Addison noticed she was staring.

Shaking her head —and mentally scolding herself for being such an idiot— Addison put a definite stop to the disturbing thoughts that were threatening to invade her mind. Things were strange enough without her adding to it. So, once she recomposed herself, she left the spot by the door and walked over to the bed.

"Wake up sleeping beauty," Addison said, giving a soft shake on Daryl's shoulder.

He woke up startled, sitting bolt upright almost instantly and reaching for the crossbow he always kept near him.

"Don't fret," she told him, keeping her voice as low and calm as she could manage. "It's just me."

"The hell, girl?! Ya startled me," Daryl grunted as he took a deep breath.

"Yeah? If you hadn't said so, I wouldn't have guessed," Addison replied, slightly humorously when she noticed Daryl's hand had left his crossbow and was now rubbing his face.

Daryl glanced at Addison with a blank look in his eyes and an eyebrow raised. She noticed it and just flashed him a smirk before walking out of the room and peaking through the open window once again.

"What time is it?" Daryl asked from the room and Addison couldn't miss the tiredness in his voice. He really shouldn't have been up all that much. They had settled about three hours of sleep each so they could get out of that cabin around five in the morning, but that was before Daryl decided to go ahead and not follow the plan... However, now that she thought about it, three hours would be very little sleep for two people that had had quite the day, gone "hunting" and then trying not to be hunted; maybe it was for the best...

"Early," she said simply.

She heard it when Daryl left the bed, walked through the cabin and approached her. During those brief moments, Addison braced herself for what was surely coming. A few more seconds and...

"It's 'bout seven!" Daryl nearly shouted and just like that, whatever remains of sleepiness in his voice was gone. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?!"

"Thought you could use the time to rest," Addison said with a shrug. She had to fight the urge to smile at his heated reaction... It wasn't as if she had many things to amuse her lately.

Daryl was openly glowering at the brunette, but he let his anger subside until it looked like he was just bothered by Addison's decision. Then he pulled his crossbow to check the bolts.

"Then we best get goin'," he said promptly. "People must be thinkin' we're dead already..."

Addison wasn't planning on arguing with Daryl. She checked her own weapons before following his steps.

"Yes, sir," she muttered under her breath as he checked the outside once more.

Daryl let that comment pass and he just looked at her once he stopped by the door. Addison simply nodded, silently telling him she was ready when he was.

.

"So... You do know what you're doin'," Daryl said as him and Addison were trying to find the best way back to the prison.

"Indeed I do," Addison admitted quietly. She didn't have to ask him what he was talking about; she was fairly certain he was talking about what they had done minutes ago when they left the cabin.

"Where'd ya learn to use that?"

For the first time since they left the cabin they had spend the night at, Addison looked away from the ground and her surroundings and fixed her eyes on Daryl. He was looking around and didn't notice it at first, it was only when she stopped dead on her tracks and there wasn't another set of feet crushing the leaves that he searched for her. He had already lost her once; he would not have that happening again.

"What happened?" Daryl asked as he turned to look at the woman standing a couple of steps behind to him.

But Addison didn't answer. In fact, Daryl doubted she was even listening to him.

She had assumed her shooting stance, with her bow raised, string pulled until it was slightly touching the corner of her lip, fingers expertly holding the string and an arrow and she was completely focused on something in the woods.

For a couple of seconds, Daryl just observed, taking in the image of the archer standing before him. Her dark hair moving whenever the cold breeze blew by, her lips slightly parted, her eyes narrowing a little, her chest moving at a steady and slow pace... He'd be damned but that woman looked too damn pretty.

_Oh, look at that... Darylena is gettin' all cute... do ya have a crush now, baby brother?_

Daryl shook his head. Damn, why was it that he kept hearing Merle's voice inside his head? That bastard would annoy him till the last of his days? Apparently, he would.

'Shut up,' he mentally tried to silence that idiotic voice of his brother's. He didn't have a damn crush. Crushes were for dumbasses.

_What? Don't ya like them girls? 'cause that chick is one fine piece of ass, I'll give ya that..._

'You best stop talking,' Daryl mentally scolded Merle once more.

_Goddamn, look at those..._

'I said shut the fuck up!'

"Excuse me?"

Daryl was rudely pulled back from his thoughts when he heard Addison's voice. Damn. He didn't just think to himself that last part... Fighting the urge to punch himself square in the face, Daryl forced himself to face Addison. She was just a few steps away from him and what he saw in her eyes wasn't something he was exactly expecting. Her dark eyes were tinged with concern, not... anger as he was kind of expecting.

"Never mind," he said with a shrug while averting his gaze.

It was incredibly hard to look at her, especially when she was looking at him like that. Why couldn't she just yell or get mad at him like she always did? For a woman that had just heard him say what he had said, Addison kept her tone too calm for his liking...

But Daryl wasn't the only one to be surprised. Even Addison was kind of shocked with her own reaction.

She had heard Daryl's question as to where she'd learnt to use what she believed to be the bow, but at the same time, she had heard a soft sound of dried leaves being rustled and turned around just in time to see a squirrel a few yards away. Automatically, she pulled an arrow from her quiver, brought her bow up and was just about to fire when she heard Daryl's much unexpected "shut the fuck up".

He hadn't shouted it at the top of his lungs; in fact, he had basically murmured it under his breath, but because the woods were as quiet as it could be, and because Addison was as attentive as it was possible, she heard it. And while it had caused her to miss the timing to shoot, she didn't get angry at him. Instead, she found herself feeling quite curious, and perhaps a bit concerned.

She knew for a fact he wasn't talking to her because she wasn't talking for him to ask her to shut up, so she couldn't help but wonder what could have possibly caused him to say such thing? Then, it dawned on her, and she didn't even have to see the perplex look in his face when he turned to face her to put the pieces together. Daryl didn't mean to say it out loud. He was having some sort of internal conflict and it just happened.

Suddenly, it was as if Addison was looking at Daryl through a different perspective. She could see in his troubled eyes and disturbed expression that he was dealing with a bunch of crap... Well, to be fair, everyone was dealing with a shitload of crap these days, but Addison was willing to bet that, whatever it was that was tormenting the Southern man standing before her, was something else; she could be wrong, but Addison was starting to believe that whatever it was that Daryl Dixon was holding up inside him, was being kept there for longer than this outbreak...

"Okay then," she said simply, not really eager to push him to talk. It wasn't like her to meddle and the man seemed disturbed enough for her to go ahead and torment him even more.

Daryl frowned; he wasn't exactly expecting for her to just let go and accept his evasive answer but she did. God knows why, she did. And, even though he wanted to know what the hell was that, he decided to just embrace that and keep going.

They walked a few more seconds in complete and utter silence until Addison remembered something. "Oh," she said suddenly, catching Daryl's attention almost instantly and making him turn his head so he was looking at her. "And and answering your question, I learned archery in school."

Yet again, Daryl frowned. In all honesty, the moment Addison broke the silence with that "oh", he was kind of expecting to hear some sort of inquiry about what exactly had happened a few moments ago or something like that, so he was truly surprised with what he heard instead. Were they making small talk? That was new...

"You learned how to use that in school?" he asked genuinely curious.

"Yeah," she replied simply. "I mean, we had an archery team in our school and I thought hey, this could be fun…"

Bringing his attention back to the woods instead of Addison, Daryl shook his head. Archery Team. What kind of school has Archery teams? Oh, right. Fancy ones… Up until now, they were just thoughts, but he found out now that he had been right all along. Addison was indeed a fancy girl. She was an upscale chick and he was nothing but white trash. They were polar opposites and couldn't be any more different. For some reason, he stopped asking questions.

.

They had walked a few more miles when Daryl heard something that made him stop dead on his tracks.

"Wait," he half said, half whispered, but it was too late.

Addison had been walking less than a step behind him and her left shoulder bumped onto his right one when he stopped abruptly. Daryl had to take a step forward and open his arms so he could stand on his feet and not tumble down.

"Bloody hell... could you _not_ do this?" Addison hissed quietly but rather angrily as she steadied herself.

Daryl heard her mumbling and, as much as he wanted to chide her and tell her to watch her steps, he did not. He was annoyed, all right; they were still out in the open with walkers creeping around so the least they could do was to be able to walk around and not step on each other. Literally. However, despite it all, Daryl wasn't all that mad. Because even though Addison nearly sent them both to the ground, she was still behind him and they were still together. So he didn't retort. Instead, he simply looked over his shoulder and glared at her.

"Just be quiet," he hissed back. It didn't come out half as angry as he had planned, but Daryl didn't waste too much time thinking about that. "Think I heard somethin'," he added quickly as he looked around once more.

In his mind, Addison was cursing Daryl and every single Dixon that came before him. That bloody idiot stopped without a previous warning or anything and he still had the audacity to tell her to be quiet?! He was damn lucky she didn't punch him.

But then, when she heard what he said next and when she noticed he was adjusting his grip on to his crossbow, Addison decided it was not the time for that shit. Maybe later, she thought as she pulled an arrow from her quiver and brought her bow back up.

A couple of seconds in silence and she heard it too. The faint sound of dry leaves being crushed. With the wind rustling in the winds and their own weight causing more leaves and branches to snap, that sound was nearly imperceptible, but when they both went completely still and really listening to the environment surrounding them, the sound of something moving became loud and clear.

"Stay close," Daryl whispered as he turned his head so he was looking right at her.

Addison heard him all right; even though he was speaking incredibly low, he was right next to her. But still, the moment he turned to look at her and he opened his mouth to talk to her, Addison's eyes drifted to his lips and she not only heard his low and husky voice speaking to her; she also watched his lips moving as they formed every single letter of those words.

"But not too close," he added and she had to blink a few times and bring her eyes back up. "If walkers show up, I don' want the princess slowin' me down..."

Addison narrowed her eyes. What the hell did he just call her?! If things were any different —just a tiny little bit different— she would take no time in making Daryl swallow those words. She was not a goddamned princess...

Inhaling deeply, Addison had to remind herself of their current location. _This isn't the time, or the place,_ she told herself mentally, over and over again._ Not the time or place..._

"You got it," she murmured back as she forced herself to focus on what was really important: staying alive. And with that one thought in mind, Addison swallowed her pride and followed Daryl further into the woods.


	25. Dead man's blood

Thank you everyone who's reading; I received a handful of email alerts for alerts and favorites on this story so thank you. Thank you very much. It amazes me how many of you are actually reading this,it's just... wow.

And I'd like to address a special thanks to a friend of mine, Mari, for her huge help with this chapter! If it wasn't for her, I'd still be stuck in the mud and not going anywhere. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Now, enough with the chatter. New chapter and you know the drill. Let me know what you think? Hope you enjoy :)

* * *

**XXV.** _Dead man's blood_

Maggie walked out of the cell she'd been sharing with Glenn and was instantly greeted with the sweet aroma of breakfast being cooked.

"Morning," she said softly as she approached the two women that were already huddled near the improvised stove — Carol and her younger sister, Beth.

Almost at the same time, both of them looked over their shoulders and returned the greeting with a small smile.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Maggie asked as she joined them. "I'd have helped..."

"We had it under control," Beth said as she continued to stir the oatmeal so it wouldn't burn.

"Still," she replied as she looked around, searching for anything to do.

Beth was just finishing the oatmeal; Carol was cooking what seemed to be potatoes and sausages, so Maggie decided that she could really use some coffee. Hell, everyone could use that bitter but insanely good beverage. She had seen some pots of instant coffee the day before and she decided to go ahead and do it.

The older Greene sister was trying to find everything she would need when she noticed that something was off. Well, things had been off for quite a while, but right now, that tense atmosphere felt worse. Maggie felt her heart shrinking inside her chest.

"Daryl and Addison?"

When those two names rolled out of her mouth, her voice was barely above a whisper and the look in her eyes matched her somber tone of the unspoken question. That was all she could say. Maggie didn't have the heart to say any other words out loud for they sounded too grim.

Deep down, Maggie was hoping to hear her sister say that they were sleeping like rocks in their own cells because they showed up in the middle of the night or something. But just by the look that the blonde girl addressed her, she knew: that wasn't the answer she would have. And Maggie had the unwanted confirmation when Beth simply shook her head negatively.

Letting out a heavy sigh, the brunette placed an empty can that she was going to use to boil the water on the table that sat next to the improvised stove. Maggie tried really hard to stay positive, but it was hard... And things only got harder when a little blur of blonde and blue passed by them in a rush.

Maggie held her breath and her eyes shot up to where Beth and Carol were standing. The two of them were acutely aware of what was going to happen next.

"Annie..." The little girl's name was a strangled cry in Carol's lips and Maggie didn't have to be a mother to know the older woman was deeply concerned about the child; she knew it because she was feeling pretty stressed out herself.

Forgetting about the coffee, Maggie looked at Carol with a short nod, she muttered a simple but heartfelt "I got this" before she followed Analeigh.

.

Despite the cold and aggressive breeze that had been blowing since the previous night, Analeigh stood gamely by the patio gates; her bright grey eyes were fixed on the forest ahead, impatiently searching the thick agglomerate of brown and green for the raven haired woman she was so eager to see. Where was she?

A silhouette crossed the space between two massive pine trees and the little girl supported her weight on the tips of her toes, as she stepped forward in excitement. To her mischance, the silhouette revealed itself to be one of those revolting walking bodies –_walkers_ like the people with which she was staying referred to them– and Analeigh's chest sank in disappointment once again. When Addison and Daryl hadn't returned last night, the blonde child could see the hope starting to leave everyone's eyes, but she didn't let it torment hers, oh no: her auntie Dee-Dee was not gone. She was strong and she was fine; she would be back any minute now and Analeigh would be there to greet her.

A few hours after dinner last night, Carol had tried to convince her into going to bed: she argued that she couldn't. What if Auntie Dee-Dee returned while she was sleeping? Even when Carol told her that if such thing happened, she would make sure to wake her, the little girl didn't move. She was an unyielding and strong-minded five year old; that much was undeniable. And so, not really seeing another way out, the older woman stayed with the stubborn child out in the cold, both wrapped in their jackets and blankets.

Seconds turned into minutes that morphed into hours and even then, Addison and Daryl were nowhere to be seen... Even though she had put up quite the fight against sleep, Analeigh couldn't resist, and sooner rather than later, the little girl's eyes closed and Carol took her to bed.

In the morning, finding herself in that awfully grey room, Analeigh stormed out of the building into the patio where she was standing now.

There were already a few people out in the patio. She saw the man named Rick, the one they called Glenn, the big dark skinned one that she couldn't remember how people addressed him and the older and kinder one who had introduced himself as Hershel. In all honesty, Analeigh didn't really trust that group; not all of them at least. The exceptions were Carol, who so far seemed to be a good and caring person, a woman that was around Auntie Dee-Dee's age whose name she believed to be Maggie and the older man, Mr. Hershel, who seemed real nice. Maybe it was his white hair and beard that made him look like that –for being a young child, Analeigh couldn't help but comparing him to another white bearded man kids her age were so fond of– but the way he acted and spoke inspired trust and everyone seemed to respect him.

Speaking of Mr. Hershel, once she stepped outside the cellblock, she saw the older man sitting on a bench in the patio, with a book in his hands; without saying a word, she walked past him, heading towards the fences in a hurry.

"Good morning to you too, Analeigh." Hershel's deep voice made itself heard without him even taking his eyes off his book and the small child stopped on her tracks. Realizing she had been quite rude, Analeigh grimaced; her mother had always taught her to be nice to people and she forgot about that.

"Good morning, Mr. Hershel," she said softly as she turned her head so she was facing the man. He smiled at her politely, but she didn't smile back. He didn't seem to mind for he didn't chide her and simply went back to his reading.

Analeigh's eyes had diverted to the gates and then browsed the patio, looking for any signs of Addison. "Is Auntie Dee-Dee here yet?"

Hershel's deep and wise eyes left the pages of the old book and fixed themselves on hers. He looked at her for a moment, before taking a deep breath and leaning towards her.

"I'm afraid not, Annie," he said. Hershel tried to sound gentle, for he knew his words weren't the kindest of all or the ones she was expecting to hear.

.

By the time Maggie managed to catch up with the hasty little human being, she found Analeigh talking to her father. About what exactly, she couldn't tell for she stopped by the door and just watched as the scene unfolded before her eyes.

The corners of Maggie's lips turned upwards as she wrapped her arms around her midsection, pulling a warm maroon sweater that Glenn had given to her the other night as they gathered around the fire to share dinner... Speaking of Glenn, as she stepped out of the cellblock, Maggie caught a glimpse of T-Dog and Glenn as they continued their walk near the fences and the gates mostly; much like her father and little Annie, the two men seemed to be talking about something and neither acknowledged her presence out there...

But, suddenly, the smile on Maggie's lips wasn't so cheerful.

Seeing everyone so friendly towards each other, at the same time it was amazing, it was also heartbreaking... The atmosphere that Maggie got to witness was one of almost normalcy, though normal like before was something they didn't have any more. Even though she hated to admit such thing, the definition of "normal" had changed.

And when she saw the little blonde taking a couple of steps forward and wrapping her arms around her dad's frame, Maggie felt a lump in her throat. What where the odds that her father would ever hold, say, her child like that? And what were the odds that whatever chat Glenn and T-Dog were having would be about ordinary things like football? Tell you what the odds are: pretty damn slim, closer to zero.

Inhaling deeply, Maggie shifted her eyes to her feet. She kicked a rock that was sitting near her shoe and watched it roll away as she tried to shake the pessimism away. She didn't consider that to be pessimism —it was more like realism—, but still, it wouldn't do any good to go down that road. So she tried to muster some neutral though, even if that seemed to be running low these days.

When Maggie looked up again, she found her father's blue eyes gazing towards her. Concerned blue eyes. Leave it to Hershel to know when something was causing trouble to his daughters... It should be work of some gene that was only put to use once you become a parent, like a parent sense or something — something that Maggie didn't think she'd ever be familiar with.

She left the spot she'd been standing for the last few minutes and walked over to the bench her father was occupying.

"Morning, dad," Maggie greeted as she sat next to him.

By now, Hershel had put his old Bible aside and had given up his attempts to keep on reading it.

"Morning," he replied kindly. He had noticed hints of sorrow in his daughter's voice but he knew that if Maggie wanted to talk about it, she would; she didn't need him prying. "How did you sleep?"

"All right," she said simply, pushing a stray strand of hair off of her face, tucking it behind her ear.

"Is that so?"

The oldest of the Greene's sister who had been watching the little kid that was now dutifully standing by the gates, bowed her head slightly and continued to avoid her father's eyes for a few more seconds, even though she knew he didn't need to look at her to see that something was tormenting her...

Letting out a resigned sigh, Maggie forced herself to face her father. His eyes were as understanding as they had always been and he was even smiling softly at her. It was all the encouragement and reassurance she needed — if she needed any.

"No," she finally admitted. "Not really..."

"Would you like to talk about it?" He asked and Maggie knew he wasn't just asking; he was indeed willing to listen if she needed someone to talk to. But not today.

"Don't want to sound like a broken record," she said with a shrug that looked more like a shiver. "Besides, we have enough to deal with, don't we?"

"Maybe. But, sometimes, the little things make all the difference."

For a few seconds, Maggie didn't say a word. She just sat there, eyes gazing the man before her. It wouldn't matter how bad things were, whenever he looked at her with those warm eyes and that fond smile, it was almost like things weren't that bad. She knew there was only so much her father could do, but Maggie felt like the world was right again when he was around.

She only noticed she was on the verge of crying when a single tear escaped from behind her eyelids and trailed a wet path down her left cheek. She quickly brushed it away, but didn't try to remain stoic. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her father and rested her head on the crook of his neck.

Hershel mirrored his daughter's moves and welcomed her into his embrace. It pained him to see his daughters going through all of this — it was an ugly, painful and very harsh path they had ahead of them, and there was not much to do about other than keep their heads and spirits up, and just keep going. Easier said than done, but they needed to carry on. And in the end, there was really not much to be said, and sometimes, silence was much more eloquent than a handful of big and fancy words. To Maggie and Hershel, that was one of those times.

For a moment or two, father and daughter remained quiet. No words could express what they were going through and, equally, no words could soothe the pain and distress that was bubbling on the inside. All they could count on was each other, for as long as they were around. Life has never been more uncertain than it was these days.

"I didn't ask," Maggie whispered some time later. "How about you? Did you sleep well?"

She felt it more than heard it when her father inhaled deeply. Maggie loosened the embrace and hooked an arm around her dad's — her head still cradled in his shoulder, though she was looking at the little blonde that was standing a few feet away from them.

"Well, y'know... As good as possible. It was a strange night."

Maggie nodded. Strange night indeed. "But Beth seems to be holding all right," she commented, and she felt it when he agreed with a short nod.

And indeed the youngest Greene seemed to be doing okay. After her breakdown at the farm, Maggie had kept a close eye on Beth (and she was a hundred and ten per cent sure her dad had been doing the same) but, apparently, the blonde teenager had come a long way.

"Of course she does," Hershel's slightly hoarse voice rumbled in his chest and reached Maggie's ears sounding a bit different than she was used to. "She's a Greene after all, what would you expect?!"

Then, much to her surprise, Maggie giggled. Her eyes were still wet, her heart was feeling a bit heavy and she really didn't know why that was, but she still managed to giggle. And she felt as if half of the worries she was carrying around suddenly lifted from her shoulder and vanished. Maybe things weren't any better, but it was easier to face the world with loved ones and people who care about each other.

"Right," she murmured as she hugged Hershel's arm and shifted into a more comfortable position.

#

Up in the guard tower, Rick scanned the perimeter through his binoculars. He'd been hoping for some good news but instead, the bad news only kept piling up.

It was already past ten in the morning, which meant it's been easily over fifteen hours since Daryl and Addison crossed the prison's gates and they were still to return. On top of that, the number of walkers on the other side of the fences had increased since the day before; it still wasn't an alarming amount, but it wasn't exactly the best of news for him when he had two people out there.

Damn it.

That was it. Rick had had enough of waiting; he couldn't keep doing that for one minute longer.

Descending the stairs, he strode with determined steps towards the building that he'd learned to see, not as a prison, a place where once he'd lock up criminals and such, but as shelter, a safe location where he could fortify and perhaps even try to rebuild life. His mind was so focused on what he had to do next that he barely even heard it when Glenn called out his name.

"Rick!"

He stopped before he reached the cell block door and turned on his heels to wait for the man to catch up.

"Been looking for you," the Asian told him as soon as he stood in front of their leader. "Look, T-Dog and I have been talking... maybe some of us should scout the perimeter around the prison."

Glenn's suggestion made Rick raise an eyebrow with curiosity. "Scout the perimeter?"

"Yeah," the younger man said. "I mean, maybe we'll find some lead... I know none of us are expert in tracking, but..."

"I'll go," Rick spoke, interrupting Glenn mid sentence. He knew what he was going to say: him and T-Dog were probably discussing that the odds that Daryl was still alive were reasonable enough for them to organize a search party in case he had found some trouble like that one time he'd gone after Sofia and showed up looking like a walker — at least that's what Rick had been thinking as he left the guard tower.

"I'll get the maps of the area and go for a walk," he said, merely informing Glenn of his plans.

"Okay," Glenn replied, feeling a somewhat glad that Rick had a plan — sure it wasn't the best plan that ever was but still... "I'll go with you."

Rick sighed. He didn't really want to drag anyone else out there. There were two people missing, and that was already enough... Pinching the bridge of his nose, he glanced at the young man before him.

He was planning on telling Glenn he would do this by himself and he was supposed to stay and watch over the group, but the look that the Asian kid was addressing him clearly said that it was settled. So, Rick didn't even try to waste his breath and argue, he decided to save the energy for he'd need it to keep them both alive in the woods.

"All right then," Rick agreed. "Wait here... I'll get the maps."

.

As he stepped inside the cell block, Rick caught a glimpse of Beth, Carol and Lori. The younger Greene sister was folding the laundry while Carol was going through their supplies and Rick figured she was considering what to do for lunch.

The three women instantly turned their heads to the entrance when they heard footsteps. Beth glanced at Rick for a few seconds before resuming her chores, unlike Lori, who had quickly averted her eyes to the small pile of clean clothes, trying to look very busy. The only person who spoke with him was Carol.

She wanted to ask him a handful of questions, such as: are they back? Did something happen? Did you see them? And the most awful of them all: Did they turn? But, instead, the only thing that escaped her mouth was a simple "Anything?"

Rick shook his head and just like that, Carol felt her heart growing heavy in her chest... They should be back by now. They _should_.

"I'm going out there," he spoke aloud and not only got Carol's attention back, but Beth's and Lori's as well. The three women raised their eyes so they were facing him. "See if I can find them..."

In all honesty, Rick was expecting to hear some kind of objection comment coming from Lori, but surprisingly enough, she didn't say one word. It was Carol again who fired the "are you going alone?" question.

"No," Rick answered simply. "Glenn's coming with me..."

"What about Maggie?" Beth piped in at the mention of Glenn for reasons that were obvious to everyone.

"Maggie's staying," the dark haired man said flatly. "I don't need more of us wandering outside those gates. Four is already a big numb—"

But Rick never got the chance to finish that sentence. He was loudly interrupted by Glenn who barged into the cell block, looking positively alarmed.

"Rick you gotta come," he said, and his tone didn't help matters to ease the tension that had suddenly built in the place.

Forgetting about the maps, Rick Grimes grabbed the semi-automatic rifle that he had been carrying around like it was just another accessory to his outfit and ran back to the door.

"What happened?" he asked when he was still a few steps away from Glenn.

Looking intently at Rick who was practically by his side now, Glenn tried to keep his voice low to avoid panic amongst the three women that were openly staring at the two men, but the damage was already done the moment he not so smoothly entered the cell block...

He scolded himself for his lack of tact, but when he forced himself to look at Rick, Glenn noticed he didn't really care all that much about manners — at least not right now. Rick's blue eyes were staring at Glenn questioningly and he was about to walk past the younger one and head outside to see what the hell was going on when he heard it.

"Daryl's back..."

Daryl was back.

Those simple words had barely rolled out of Glenn's mouth and the next second Rick was exiting the building, with Carol, Beth and even Lori hot on his heels.

Carol, Beth and Lori. Strangely enough, Glenn was the last one to follow, and he had a reason to.

"Rick, wait!"

He tried to call Rick once again so he could conclude what he was saying, but the man wasn't listening... Glenn knew it was just a matter of time. Just a couple more seconds and then Rick, along with everyone else would soon understand what had happened, but part of him felt bad for leaving them in the dark for it wasn't something cheerful. He'd gone with the good news first...

Starting after Lori, Glenn made his way back to the patio, and right there, trying to make his way into the prison was the one thing that he'd been trying to warn them about.

As soon as the gates came into his view, Rick stopped dead on his tracks.

"Daryl?"

The hunter was just walking through the gates that T-Dog had opened and, honestly, he looked like death.

"What the hell happened?" Rick asked more than slightly disturbed as he hurried to cross the patio and get to where the hunter was.

Daryl was covered with blood and he had this look in his eyes that wasn't exactly warming up the atmosphere. Quite the contrary and Rick had to ask. "Did you get bit?"

Daryl's eyebrows furrowed deeper. "What? No."

Rick walked past Maggie, who was holding a stunned looking Analeigh who, surprisingly enough wasn't even crying, even though her eyes seemed to be glistening with unshed tears.

"Where's Addison?" he asked; Rick's voice dropped an octave when he stood right in front of the man that had become his right hand. "Whose blood is this?"

Even though he'd noticed the urgency in Rick's voice, Daryl didn't answer right away; he took a couple of seconds to breathe and look around.

"Was she bit?" Rick pushed. But that wasn't his finest moment, because as soon as he asked it, he heard this soft whimper — Analeigh had managed to sneak out of Maggie's arms and she was standing right behind Rick and she heard his question, loud and clear.

It was like time had stopped for a moment and no one seemed to know what to do or say; even Daryl felt dislocated as he blankly stared at the little girl. Her gray eyes were wide open and her tiny little hands were now covering her mouth and he was pretty damn sure she was on the verge of tears.

"Auntie Dee-Dee..."

Maggie and Carol tried to reach out for Analeigh, but the blonde wasn't having any of that. She took a couple of steps and stood between Rick and Daryl; her watery eyes never leaving Daryl's, which only made Daryl feel a lot more awkward.

"You said you'd take care of her," she spoke and her thin and tremulous voice was worse than being punched in the gut. "You promised..."

Daryl spared a glance at Rick and he could also see everyone else as they stood behind the man, though what he saw made him shake his head. They all had the same grieving look in their faces that Daryl just couldn't bear to see.

Ignoring them all for a second, he decided to focus on the four foot tall girl standing before him; the one person he'd made a promise.

"Look," Daryl said, putting his hands on his knees and bending down a little. "Your auntie Dee-Dee... she is just fine," he told her in a low and somewhat reassuring voice.

Not only Analeigh's face suddenly lit up, but Daryl also heard the sound of feet shuffling and a low "what?" that he pinned as T-Dog's voice.

"Is she really?" The blonde asked, using the back of her hands to rub her eyes a couple of times.

"Yeah," he said with a small nod. "'s like ya said... I promised, didn' I?"

Analeigh giggled at Daryl and he couldn't stop the half smirk that appeared on his face when her amusement turned into a squeal with delight. But his smile was soon replaced by his neutral and natural semi-frown when shifted his attention back to Rick.

"It's walker's blood and she wasn' bit," he finally answered the man's question even though he didn't really have to since he had made that clear when he told Analeigh that she was fine. Then, he waited until Carol had taken the little girl with her before saying anything else. "Though we came awful close to a couple of times... 's a damn mess," Daryl said, indicating the left area outside. "Walkers everywhere."

Those two words put together in the same sentence made Rick arch his eyebrows. "Walkers everywhere?" He echoed. Did he believe that Addison was fine after hearing that and seeing the state that Daryl was? Not so much...

"So, where is Addison if she wasn't bit?" Glenn piped in, making both Rick and Daryl look around; Lori, Maggie, Beth and Analeigh were nowhere to be seen, but T-Dog, Glenn, Carl, Hershel and Carol were still there, and they were all looking at him, the same worried expression plastered on their faces.

.

"Are you sure that everything's fine?"

Even though he trusted Daryl with his life, Rick had to ask for he was still a bit dubious as to what exactly was happening. He felt like the hunter wasn't being straight honest with him and he figured it should be because of Analeigh and then Carol who was visibly shocked with the absence of Addison. Now that they were alone, he thought he might as well ask that once and for all.

But Daryl's reaction was exactly the same as before. Tightening his grip on the steering wheel of the silver Dodge Ram, Daryl a glance at Rick out of the corner of his eye and he muttered a simple "yeah" shortly before furrowing his brows and asking, "Why?"

From the passenger seat of Addison's truck, Rick studied Daryl for a couple of seconds. He seemed to be telling the truth, especially since he didn't have any reason not to given the fact it was just the two of them in that car now, but he still looked a bit... off.

"Because you look more than just a little uncomfortable talking about it," Rick said matter-of-factly. "You say everything's fine, but your body tells a different story..."

Daryl's eyes left the road for a couple of seconds and landed on Rick. The hunter simply watched the other man for a moment. Damn him and his ability to read people...

Shifting on his seat, Daryl inhaled deeply. "That's 'cause I ain't comfortable," he finally admitted.

"And why's that?"

"'cause she stayed behind when it was supposed to be me..."

Rick frowned. "Why did she stay behind anyway? I don't understand..."

"We found a deer," Daryl said and, frankly, things started to make a lot more sense to Rick with just that piece of information. "But the damn animal was just too big for us to take back and there were the damn walkers..."

"So you decided to split?"

"'t wasn' much of a decision," Daryl grunted as he removed his feet from the gas and started to hit the breaks to slow the speed.

Rick found himself murmuring a simple "right" in reply.

Judging by Daryl's current mood, Addison probably decided she would stay back to make sure no walkers would seal their game while he was to go back and get a vehicle. It made sense in a way that explained why Daryl showed up alone and why he was brooding.

That man's sense of humanity and protection was truly otherworldly, and even now he managed to surprise Rick and make the former Deputy Sheriff feel bad for having misjudged him when they first met. Daryl could be a Dixon, but he was nothing like his older brother...

Then, Daryl hit the brakes and brought the truck to a complete stop.

"It's over there," he said, indicating some place that was clearly further into the woods.

Taking a knife from the sheath he had attached to his belt, Rick jumped out of the truck. His eyes automatically scanned his surroundings; there weren't many walkers in that area, but he saw a couple of bodies on the side of the road.

Glancing around a couple more times, Rick walked around the truck and reached the spot where the hunter was standing.

"Lead the way."


	26. For good

First of all, huge thanks to everyone who's reading this story. Even though it took me a while to update, I've noticed that a far few people started following this story and even add it to their favourites. I can't begin to explain how amazing you all are. Thanks a lot!

Secondly, I don't normally do this but I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed my last chapter. I got some amazing reviews and I still fail to believe what some people have wrote. I am in awe and so humbled and I really have no words. Thank you. So much.

And finally, I'd like to thank **mari-hook** because she made a cover for this fic and it's just wonderful!

So, in conclusion, thanks everyone. Sorry it took me an eternity but my computer was dead for almost a week but it's all good now. I hope. Feedback and suggestions are greatly appreciated because I've been having a hard time writing lately.

* * *

**XXVI.** _For good_

It didn't take Daryl thirty seconds to find the place where he'd last seen Addison. The two hundred and ten-ish pound deer was lying dead, legs still tied together with a make-shift rope made out of Addison's long sleeves, near the bulky pine he and Addison had managed to drag it, but –surprise, surprise– said woman was not there.

The hunter couldn't hold back a low and deeply frustrated _'goddammit'_ as he looked around, making a complete three hundred and sixty degrees turn as his eyes desperately searched for a simple glimpse of that raven hair, porcelain skin, heeled boots or that black bow of hers. Anything that would show him that he hadn't made the wrong call when he dubiously agreed to leave her behind.

Rick's eyes were also scanning their surroundings, making sure that any groups or stray walkers would surprise them, but the man was so aware of his crossbow-wielding friend that he couldn't help but turn his attention back to Daryl when he hissed through gritted teeth, and what he saw made him furrow his eyebrows in concern. Rick Grimes recalled seen the Southern man that distressed only once and it was when they were gathered by the barn at Hershel's farm and Shane had said they were wasting time searching for a little girl who was most likely dead or worse.

"What is it?" Rick had to ask, even though he was beginning to put the pieces together.

The deer was there, but Addison...

Daryl felt as if there was a hand inside his chest and it was squeezing the life out of his heart.

"I left her here," he told Rick after a couple of seconds; Daryl tried really hard to sound a bit cool and all, but he didn't think he delivered that for his voice was barely above a whisper. "Right here..."

By then, Rick had stopped looking around, trusting his hearing mostly to let him know if any of those despicable rotten corpses got any close, and fixed his eyes on the man in front of him. Daryl blinked a couple of times and took a long deep breath. Rick didn't have to be a genius in human behavior to know what was happening; the younger Dixon was feeling guilt. And he knew that because he saw in Daryl's features what he once felt: the heavy weight that settled upon his shoulders because he had failed to protect someone, the look of despair for not being able to keep his promise despite all of his efforts to do so... Those were just a few things amongst the handful of expressions and feelings that Rick recognized as he watched Daryl look around.

But it wasn't his fault. It was nobody's fault and Rick was just about to say that when a low sound of something moaning caught his attention.

Out of reflex, Rick tightened his grip around his knife and he flexed his knees a little, assuming a more offensive stance. His eyes made a quick scan of the perimeter but nothing stood out. Rick then searched for Daryl. The hunter was only a few steps away from him but he had his crossbow ready to fire and, much like himself, Daryl was ready to strike if needed be.

Their eyes locked for a second and the same mix of confusion and alertness was plastered on their faces. Moving ever so silently, Rick and Daryl narrowed the space between them and stood, back to back, near the tree so they had eyes everywhere and their back wasn't unprotected.

They were still waiting for a walker appear from behind a tree or something when the sound of rustling leaves followed by a familiar "_oi_" reached their ears.

"Would any one of you help me? Hate to admit it but I'm kind of stuck."

Forgetting about walkers for a second, Daryl and Rick looked up to find Addison standing on a thick branch of the bulky pine tree they were standing next to.

Daryl felt a strange combination of relief and anger filling him. He was damn glad that she wasn't dead, but he was also pretty damn mad because she had made him feel like he'd failed again and, before he could think twice, he blurted out a rather harsh: "the hell are ya doin'?!"

Even though she was almost ten feet off the ground, Daryl could tell she had just rolled her eyes at him.

"The hell does it look like I'm doing?" She retorted; her tone matching Daryl's to a tee. "I'm staying alive. Walkers can't get me if I'm up here. Besides, higher ground gives me a much better view."

That much was true and Daryl knew it. But he wasn't going to admit such thing; not after what she put him through.

"Ya could easily get trapped up there!" He hissed angrily.

"Yeah, well, that was a possibility," Addison admitted nonchalantly as she let her bow and quiver fall to the ground. "But I knew you were coming back so it was calculated risk... now, please?"

Daryl shook his head at her. There wasn't a point in carrying on that argument because it was a stupid thing to argue about so he just dropped it. Besides, now that he was thinking a somewhat clearly, he had to admit it was quite a smart move to stay above the ground. Why didn't he think about looking up before?

Rick didn't say a word as the two of them bickered. Because that's what was going on there – a pointless, juvenile bickering. He knew Daryl was just being Daryl, but it surprised him that Addison had stopped ignoring the hunter's bluntness and started giving the man the same treatment. It surprised him, though he didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. But he decided to think about it later, when he was back to the prison and not out there with nothing to stand between them and the walkers, so, placing his knife back in its sheath, he looked up at Addison, but before he could do or say anything, Daryl stepped up.

"Jump," the hunter told her simply.

Addison looked at Daryl and cocked an eyebrow. Was he serious?

"Good Lord... Just do as I fuckin' say and jump," he said once more, though this time, he reached out both of his arms. "I'll catch ya."

If Daryl thought that would ease her wariness, he was dead wrong. Addison's eyebrows knitted together and a grimace appeared on her face. Even though she had asked for help for she couldn't get down without the risk getting herself a busted ankle or a broken foot, it made Addison bit on her lower lip.

From the place he'd been standing ever since they first got there, Rick watched the scene as it unfolded before his eyes, and when he glanced at the woman above them, he could sense her hesitation. In all honesty, Rick had no idea how exactly she got there in the first place for that wasn't the most climbable of all trees (the nearest branch was about ten inches out of his reach), but somehow she did. And now, she was stuck up there, glancing at the very solid ground.

"It's okay," he said and Addison stopped gazing the ground and fixed her eyes on his. "It's okay," he repeated himself while giving her an encouraging nod.

Deep down, Rick knew it wasn't much, but it was basically everything he could do. She needed to jump, that much was undeniable, but he couldn't help but think about what she had to do and what he was encouraging her to do, which was to take the fall and trust that the man by his side wouldn't let her hit the ground. All in all, it was all about trust, and that was a funny thing to consider whenever he thought about Addison.

She was a rather exquisite person, Rick though. For someone with so much trust issues, Addison was actually very bold. She had her reservations and all, but she was the one who helped them and handed over guns and ammunition. She kept her distance, but she didn't hesitate to share the last of her food supply. She thought about leaving, but she willingly followed Rick and risked her life when they walked further inside the prison, and she almost really left, though she was going to leave Analeigh behind for, what she claimed to be, the best for the little girl... Rick wondered if one day he'd crack this mystery that was Addison.

"All right," she said, pulling the former Officer from his train of thoughts and right back to reality.

Addison looked at Daryl once more and noticed he hadn't moved one muscle and was still standing there, waiting for her looking annoyed as always.

"On three then," she said, ignoring the part of her brain that was making her question the sanity of what she was about to do; I mean, for someone who was just about to help her, Daryl Dixon didn't seem the least bit involved. "One," Addison began her count, silencing that annoying little voice in the back of her head. "Two..."

But, before she voiced the "three", Addison pushed her body off the branch and fell towards Daryl. He wasn't exactly expecting that because, well, they had agreed on the three that never really came.

Cursing through gritted teeth, the hunter moved rather quickly; taking a step forward he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

"Thought you said on the count to three," he said as he grabbed her. He had an eyebrow arched and looked pointedly at her. However, he was genuinely surprised when he noticed he didn't sound as harsh as he first intended to.

"Anticipation is worse than the act itself," Addison replied with a shrug and Daryl really wished she had not, because when she did so, her hands that had been resting on his shoulders slowly brushed against the fabric of his vest and he was suddenly acutely aware of the woman he had in his arms.

His arms were still locked around her waist and her chest was nearly touching his. Her hands were awful close to his neck, her hair still had this scent of soap like she had just washed it and Daryl couldn't help taking in a deep breath. And he was just trying to figure out what exactly was happening to him and, mostly, to his brain, when he noticed Addison looking at him. Her dark eyes fixed on his so intently that he felt like a deer caught in the headlights, and things didn't get any better when she arched an eyebrow at him.

"Whatever," Daryl said bluntly, as he put her down. Averting his eyes, he quickly walked away.

Addison didn't really know what happened or how it happened, but truth was, ever since the night before when they were in that cabin and having no one else to trust other than themselves, she and Daryl had gone from hostiles around each other to something that she could only describe as a somewhat civil.

They weren't best buddies and, even though Addison still had no idea why the man had promised Analeigh that he'd look after her or why he actually went out there with her, she sure as hell believed Daryl trusted her only as far as he could throw her, but that had to be an improvement. She liked it better than that stressful and very unfriendly situation they had a while back... However, for a split second, Addison felt as if they were slipping back into that pattern once more.

Her eyebrows knitted together as she turned her back to him so she could go and retrieve her weapons that lay a few feet away.

"Whatever," Addison retorted.

Even though she sounded incredibly detached and void of emotions, deep down, something was bugging her. She had no idea why that was and, honestly, she wasn't exactly looking forward to figuring it out...

#

After placing the deer on the bed of the truck, Daryl and Rick joined Addison inside the truck and the three of them drove back to the prison.

Didn't take them too long to see the building again with its fences rising from the ground, the guard tower and the entrance gates that were pulled open as soon as they approached it.

Analeigh didn't even bother hiding or minimizing her excitement for seeing Addison again, but she wasn't the only one whose spirits were lifted. After the stressful night they had, seeing Addison and Daryl still alive plus the deer, even Lori couldn't help a small smile to play with the corner of her lips for a few very brief seconds. Speaking of brief, that light atmosphere lasted for only a couple of minutes before everyone returned to their own chores and tasks and whatever it is they were doing to keep their minds busy.

Glenn and Maggie went to the guard tower in order to keep watch; Hershel and Carl stood by the gates and took down any stray walkers that would stumble upon Rick and T-Dog's path as the two of them finished removing the dead carcasses from the prison's fenced area, taking them all outside. Daryl had separated himself from the group as soon as they got back — someone needed to skin and gut the deer.

Not wanting to be the only one idle –and not exactly looking forward to cut open the dead animal– Addison pitched in and joined Beth, Carol, and Lori with lunch. Or at least she tried to make herself useful, for Analeigh kept circling her, both trying to get her attention and not wanting to lose sight of her. It was pretty obvious what the little blonde wanted some alone time with Addison, so Carol kindly told the young brunette that they had everything under control there so she could go ahead and be with Annie. Though, it was only after asking a few times if she was sure about that –and being assured, about half a dozen times, by the older woman and the Greene's sisters that yes, they were sure–, that Addison abided and left the four women so they could work peacefully.

However guilty she felt for not contributing any more, once she walked back to the patio, holding hands with Analeigh who was jumping up and down by her side and feeling the warm sunrays touching the bare skin of her arms as she wandered through the open area, Addison had to agree that it was pretty damn good.

Less than a week ago, she had all but lost hope that she'd ever find a place like that in this strange new world; a place that would make her feel a somewhat protected, shielded, safe... a place where she would be able to let her guards down, even if for just a minute, and not live in that constantly state of alert and fear, worrying that one of those walking corpses would creep up on her and attack little Annie and she'd be just too exhausted to do anything. A shiver ran down her spine at the mere thought of that dreadful idea and Addison instinctively glanced at the blonde girl that was clinging onto her hand.

She was still there. They were still there. And against all odds, Addison and Analeigh survived the adversities and they found a safe place _and_ a group of non-hostile people and they now had shelter, protection and that was more than anyone could ask for these days, and it made her begin to re-think everything she'd done and thought ever since she got there…

"What is he doing?"

Analeigh's soft voice made Addison snap right back into reality.

"Who?" The one word question slipped out of Addison's mouth automatically.

Raising her eyes, Addison followed Analeigh's stretched finger while trying to figure out what the kid was talking about. It didn't take long for her to get acquainted with the object of her curiosity.

Analeigh was looking at Daryl's back. He was a few yards away from where she was standing and he wasn't even wearing that winged vest of his but she knew it was him. And as soon as she became familiar with that fact, a strange mixture of feelings and sensations suddenly made her stomach turn.

"Well, he is, uh–" Addison hesitated. How do you tell a five year old girl that a hunter else is skinning and gutting Bambi? "He is just... He's busy," she finally said, completely ignoring the question. "And it's best if we don't go there... you know, in case he doesn't want to be bothered."

Addison felt really awful for not giving Annie a straight and honest answer, but she was just not looking forward to scar her even more. For a five year old, Analeigh had seen enough for a lifetime, or maybe three.

"Come here, sweetheart," she added quickly, heading to the nearest bench. Sitting down, Addison didn't even have to reach out for Analeigh for she instantly hopped on the concrete bench, only to sit on Addison's lap.

The young brunette smiled fondly when Analeigh started playing with her hair. Her little hands grabbing fistfuls of her dark waves as she combed the strands with her fingers. However, despite the light atmosphere that surrounded the two of them, Addison could feel a bit of tension coming from Analeigh and it became way too obvious when she looked at her a bit more carefully. Her big grey eyes were staring at her hair intently and she was biting the inside of her lower lip.

"Annie..." It was a rather subtle reaction, but Addison noticed when Analeigh's hands stilled for a split second before she resumed what she was doing. She was listening, but she didn't look back at Addison, which made her heart ache.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Addison half said, half whispered. She really was sorry; for everything they've been through, for everything she had done to Analeigh and for everything she had thought of doing. "I am so, so sorry."

It took Analeigh a few seconds, but eventually, she stopped playing with Addison's hair and raised her head so she was facing the older woman. Stormy grey eyes met dark ones.

"When... when you didn't come back last night," Analeigh began; her voice was so soft and so low that Addison leaned forward a little. "I knew you were all right... I knew nothing bad had happened, and you would come back. You always do..."

Then, it was Addison's turn to bit on her lips. Up until now, she had always returned indeed. But she couldn't ignore that she had thought of leaving once... and who could guarantee that she would always come back?

Not really knowing what to say, if she had something to say or if there was anything to be said, Addison simply nodded.

"But... don't do that again, Dee-Dee." Analeigh's voice suddenly dropped to a whisper and she snuggled up to Addison. The side of her head was pressed against her chest and her arms wrapped around her; she could feel her hands gasping onto her shirt. "Please."

Closing her arms around Analeigh's petite frame, Addison closed her eyes and rested her cheek on her blonde hair. "I'll try not to."

Addison had learned the hard way how to _not_ make any promises she couldn't keep. And that was one of the things that weren't entirely up to her, as harsh as it could be. There were no guarantees, and she couldn't do that to Analeigh. She just couldn't.

Kissing her temple, Addison tightened the hold around Analeigh and whispered on her ear. "I will try my best, baby girl."

.

Turns out, Carol was right. She and the girls had everything under control and soon enough, they were all gathered in the cell block having lunch.

It was nothing too fancy, but they had managed to fix some rice and mixed veggies alongside with corn and beans. A few months ago that would hardly be considered a feast but that was the one word that they all thought of when they laid eyes on the food.

As she sat there and ate, Addison couldn't help but bring back all the thoughts she'd been having lately. That place, those people... It was good, all of it. If she believed in miracles, she'd probably say that was it. And if she wanted to have a chance, a _real_ and _decent_ chance of survival, then she needed to change. She needed to do something that Nick had told her over and ove ragain but she hadn't really listened. She needed to stop. Stop over-analyzing every word or every act, stop questioning things, stop jumping to conclusions based on what she believed would happen before it actually happened, she needed to stop sabotaging everything and everyone and engage.

Grabbing her plate and fork, Addison stood from her seat and placed it on the medium-sized basin that they've been using to do the dishes and headed towards the stairs where two persons were quietly discussing something.

"Hey, Rick."

At that, both Rick and Daryl turned their heads to face Addison, who was approaching them with slow but steady steps and had her hands tucked inside the back pockets of her jeans.

Unconsciously, she bit on her lower lip when two pair of blue eyes locked on her. For a moment, her resolve wavered and Addison's thoughts threatened to run wild; it took her a great deal of strength and will, but she forced herself to think about the other day when she had gone to Trinity with the former Deputy Sheriff. It was a trip that she had definitely _not_ planned but, in the end, she had to admit it was very fruitful.

Addison spared a quick glance at Daryl. He was just standing there, leaning against the handrail with his crossbow resting on the steps only a few inches away from his reach. Deep down, Addison wished the man wasn't there, or when he didn't hear his name, he would leave so she could speak with Rick in private. It was nothing top secret what she had to tell the man, but still. Sometimes –or, to be more precise, _most of the time_–, Addison felt uneasy whenever Dixon was around.

Inhaling deeply, she blinked a couple of times and simply avoided looking at Daryl. It didn't help much because she could feel his eyes following her every move and it made her skin crawl.

"About that conversation we had the other day," she said locking eyes with the dark haired man.

The only thing within Addison's sight was Rick and she couldn't miss it when he straightened up and the previous mild curiosity showing in his blue orbs was almost instantly replaced by this look of expectancy.

"What about that?" Rick asked, and when he did so, out of the corner of her eye, Addison noticed Daryl brooding.

"I just wanted to tell you I'm in," she said unceremoniously while she thoroughly ignored the frowny man, even though it kept bugging her.

Now, Addison really believed she was just stating the obvious there, that Rick must have had figured out that she wasn't really going anywhere, so she was kind of surprised when Rick's eyes widened a bit and then narrow slightly when he asked a very non-casual: "You're in?"

"Uh–" That was weird, Addison thought as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "Yeah… I'm all in. I mean, if you didn't change your mind about having me around, that is."

Rick must have sensed Addison's hesitancy and how she was a bit stressed out for his stance eased and his whole body language was a somewhat lighter.

"I didn't," he said. And when his thin lips showed the smallest of all smirks, Addison let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"I'm glad to hear that," Rick added and Addison could tell he was being honest.

"So am I," she replied with a smile. "Just let me know if I can help with anything," she told him before turning on her heels and heading back to where she had left Analeigh, who was calling out for her. However, before she walked away from Rick and Daryl, Addison caught a glimpse of the latter and the look he was addressing her made her stop breathing for a moment.

He seemed angry, but there was something in his eyes that made her stop for a second and look at him again. She had seen something, and even though she didn't know how to name that something, it still made her heart feel heavy in her chest, and she was left with this strange sensation that she had done something wrong, although she didn't know what that was.


	27. Beyond the horizon

I'd like to thank everyone who's reading; thank you all for giving this a chance and for being patient with me. I know it's been a while and I am so very sorry for that. I'd also like to thank Mari, for writing this with me. Thanks a lot, girl!

With no further ado, here's a new chapter. It's not Beta read so all mistakes, errors and whatnot is my fault. Hope you all enjoy!

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**XXVII.** _Beyond the horizon_

Daryl followed Addison's retreating form as she crossed the cell area and headed back to the table she'd been having lunch with Analeigh and Carol.

He had heard the entire exchange between Addison and Rick and he was feeling very, very conflicted over everything they talked about.

She was _all in_? What the hell was that all about? And what did she mean if Rick didn't change his mind about having her around? Was he missing something? Because he felt as if he was completely left out.

"What was that?" Daryl's words were barely a whisper, muttered behind a wall of closed teeth, but he knew Rick had heard them, for the dark haired man diverted his blue eyes to him with a calm expression. The hunter immediately cursed himself for letting those damned words escape; it wasn't his business, so he should just stay out of it but, somehow, his curiosity had gotten the best of him.

"Looks like she decided to stay." The former Deputy Sheriff's face remained quiet, impassible despite of Daryl's meddling; his vague reply only made the hunter shift the weight of his body from one leg to the other while he furrowed his brows, glaring at Addison from the corner of his eyes.

Deciding he wouldn't let it affect him, Daryl Dixon shook his head and headed for the patio, where Glenn and T-Dog were checking the fences.

If it weren't for the dead corpses surrounding the prison, it was a rather pleasant afternoon: there wasn't a single cloud to overcast the sun and the breeze that blew was gentle. After lunch, the entire group was outside, scattered around the patio after finishing the few chores they had left to do. Hershel had his nose buried in his Bible, reading it out loud to his younger daughter, Beth; Maggie and Glenn sat further away from the majority of the group, soaking not only in the sun but in each other's whispered words. Rick and T-Dog were checking their weapons for the last time, while Carol and Lori sat near Addison, to whom Analeigh kept clinging to. From the top of the guard tower, the light haired man diverted his gaze back to the forest, but although his eyes were no longer bothered with the vision of that stubborn raven haired woman, his mind seemed to be clouded by the words she and Rick had exchanged earlier. The fact that Rick's answer had been as vague and plain as it could possibly get only made Daryl more… suspicious. It was obvious that there was some kind of trust developing between the two of them: the brunette seemed to be growing quite comfortable around Rick and vice-versa. For some reason, that bothered him.

Putting his idiotic thoughts aside, Daryl focused on his task, which was to watch over the prison. Although Rick had insisted he should get some rest after the previous night, he wasn't exactly in the mood for resting, let alone mingling and the guard tower seemed to be the perfect place to be alone for a while.

.

The rest of the afternoon went by smoothly and the sun soon began to set in the horizon, tainting the sky with various colours. It didn't take long for a bonfire to be set in the patio beneath him and the women quickly occupied themselves with the task of cooking dinner. The delicious smell of venison filled the air and Daryl soon heard his name being called: Carol stood in the edge of the circle the group had formed around the fire with a plate of food in her hands.

Taking a couple of few deep breaths, Daryl simply looked at the unusual group gathered around the small fire. It was easier to be up there in the guard tower; it was as if he was separated from all the madness that had taken over the world and things were almost like they used to be. _Almost_.

Trying not to get lost in that incredibly tricky and poisonous train of thoughts, Daryl threw his crossbow over his shoulder and began his slow descend. It took him almost three whole minutes to get to the place where the group was.

They were already eating by the time he joined them, but Daryl didn't mind that in the slightest. Taking the plate from Carol's hand, the hunter glanced at her and offered a simple nod to let her know he appreciated the gesture. Words weren't his forte and Carol certainly knew that by now.

He was just turning his back to her so he could go and find a spot where he could have a quiet (and rather lonesome) dinner when he heard the woman's soft and gentle voice.

"There's an empty spot. You can sit with us..."

He glanced at the "us"; they were Lori, Carl, Analeigh and Addison, but since Analeigh was sitting in between Addison's legs, there was indeed a spot on the bench they were sitting. He had nothing against all those women, but quite frankly, Daryl was _not_ looking forward to be in the middle of that — too much estrogen and whatnot...

"Thanks," he replied slightly warily and turned to find a place where he could do exactly what he intended to in the first place: to have a quiet, maybe lonesome dinner... However, ended up not being exactly lonesome for Daryl found himself sitting next to T-Dog near the fire, and unintentionally, right across from Lori. And it wasn't exactly quiet after a while for T-Dog had asked Beth to sing something like she had done the other night.

"To lift the spirits a little," had T-Dog said and Daryl had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at that.

He was rather fond of T-Dog, just like he was rather fond of everyone else. Time did that to him—time and necessity, those two things most of all had made Daryl change a little. But there was only so much he could take, and really? Did the man really believe that something like a song would _lift people's spirits_? Really?

Nonetheless, despite everything—and mainly, despite himself—Daryl held his tongue. Something that old Daryl certainly would not have done... But then, there were plenty of things that old Daryl wouldn't have done. Like going after Sophia when she went missing, being friends with a Deputy Sheriff, letting people get closer to him to the point of thinking them as friends...

Shoving a couple of forkfuls of venison and canned beans into his mouth, Daryl looked away from his food and let his eyes travel around.

Beth's soft voice reached his ears as she sang some song that he had never heard before (or if he did, he did not remember), and he couldn't help but notice that there wasn't one person sitting around that fire whose expression hadn't softened a bit.

Carol was looking at the younger Greene with a peaceful look in her eyes while a ghost of a smile played with the corner of her lips. Hershel also seemed at ease, though he had his eyes fixed on the burning fire. Daryl saw Lori and how she had her left hand placed over her abdomen and the right one was holding onto Carl's; she didn't seem very cheerful, but she was almost... calm.

Surprisingly as it was, it seemed like a simple thing like a song had sort of eased the atmosphere. Daryl didn't think anyone's spirits were being lifted –whatever the hell that was supposed to mean– but he found himself thinking that maybe, just maybe, it had made people stop thinking about all the horror that surrounded them for a second...

And then, his eyes found Rick.

Much like Hershel, Daryl noticed that Rick seemed to have taken a deep interest on the flames and was staring at them like they were holding the answer of some important question or something like that. And, if his furrowed eyebrows, pursed lips and clenched jaws were anything to go by, one would say that, whatever it was that he was thinking about, was bothering him. Unlike the rest of the group, Beth's song wasn't exactly helping Rick relax... To be fair, it wasn't helping him either.

All that singing about love and how there's always a reason why someone's life has been spared, that was giving Daryl a mighty headache, that's what.

Shaking his head, Daryl turned his attention back to his food and busied himself chewing and swallowing. He had nearly cleaned his plate when he heard Rick's grave voice.

"I'll take first watch," he announced simply as he stood.

Looking around, Daryl suddenly became aware of the fact that silence had settled upon them all like a thick blanket. It was as if when the sing ended —which, by the way, the hunter wasn't sure when it happened for he had managed to tune down—, the momentary state of semi obliviousness of reality had ended as well.

"Then I'll take the next one," Glenn offered.

Daryl watched when Rick nodded at him, letting him know it was settled. Placing his place aside, Daryl rubbed his hands in his pants and he was just about to say he'd take over after the Asian when someone else spoke before him.

"Count me in."

All heads turned towards Addison. Even Daryl, who had been avoiding the brunette like the plague, couldn't help but glance at her. Addison didn't seem to have moved one muscle. She was still sitting there, the same way he had seen her when he had quickly spoken to Carol.

Daryl briefly wondered why was it that that girl always volunteered to do almost everything there was to do, before his attention was pulled back to the present.

"Absolutely _not_," Rick stated. "And that goes to you too, Daryl," he added quickly, turning to face the hunter. He had seen, out of the corner of his eye when Daryl shifted a little as he heard his words to Addison, and Rick knew the other man well enough to have a pretty good idea as to what had crossed his mind. "You two are out of watch duty for the night..."

"What? Why?" Both Addison and Daryl said at the same time.

They had spoken so in sync that they exchanged a look. Blue eyes met dark ones and they found themselves slightly frowning at each other; even their expression was oddly alike, scarily mirrored, which made Addison shift uncomfortably. Blinking a couple of times, she averted her eyes and turned her attention back at Rick.

"Because you need to get some rest," said the dark haired man. "God only knows how many hours of sleep you've had since yesterday... No watch duty for you two. T will change with Glenn."

Part of Addison wanted to argue. Even though she hadn't had much sleep the night before and she knew Rick's decision was reasonable enough, but still... part of her wanted to argue. Just for the sake of arguing. Because she wasn't the kind of person who would take someone's orders as gospel - that was some trait she lacked; she just did not have it in her DNA and she lost count of how many times she heard her father say that her stubbornness would get her in trouble. And it sure as hell did, more than just once, Addison would say. However, as she sat there, in the patio of the West Georgia Correctional Facility, with a five year old girl resting against her chest, holding tightly onto her hands while a good portion of the human population had succumbed to whatever disease that had spread a few months ago, Addison managed to curb her attitude and she simply nodded while muttering a very docile "all right".

After that conversation was over, it didn't take long for the group to disperse: gradually, everyone got up and headed for the cell block, in order to get some sleep, until the only people left were Addison, Daryl, Rick, Carol and, of course, Analeigh, who had fell asleep in the first one's lap.

"Well, it's time for me to head to bed too." Carol stood up slowly and turned to Addison. "If you want to stay here for a while longer, I can take Analeigh."

With the semblance of a smile on her lips, the brunette nodded and let the older woman take the little sleeping child from her arms. As soon as Addison gently set the blonde onto Carol's arms, the child opened her eyes.

"Dee-Dee." Finding herself in someone's arms other than the brunette's, the girl raised her head, desperately looking for her _Auntie_.

"I'm here. Carol's going to take you to bed, so you can have a good night of sleep."

"Aren't you coming too?"

"I'll be there soon, baby." Said that, Addison placed a kiss on the girl's forehead and caressed her hair. "Sleep tight." When she returned to her seat, she could swear she saw Daryl looking away from her.

Following the two silhouettes with her eyes, Addison waited until Carol and Annie disappeared into the building; then, she took a deep breath and turned her attention to the dying fire at which both Rick and Daryl were staring. While Rick's expression was rather calm, like someone who had just gotten lost in their thoughts, Daryl had that idiotic and constant frown of his plastered on his face.

Perhaps it was just her mind tricking her, but earlier that day, when she told Rick she would stay, it seemed that Daryl wasn't too happy about it. She didn't expect him to be happy, but she also didn't expect him to seem so… bothered by it. Addison knew the man wasn't exactly her biggest fan and all, but c'mon! If she was making an effort to tolerate him, why couldn't he just do the same?

Hesitantly, Rick stood up from the place where he had been quietly resting and, stretching out his arms, began to walk away from the remaining people.

Daryl only saw his legs moving, for he was hunched forwards and had his forearms placed in his knees which didn't allow him to have a full view of things.

"Where are you going?"

Addison's voice suddenly disrupted the silence that had settled; she sounded quite afflicted, as if she didn't want Rick to leave, or maybe she just didn't want to be alone with _him_. Without turning to see her face – or Rick's face for that matter – Daryl rolled his eyes.

"The tower. You two should get some sleep."

"Later." Daryl simply grunted, while Addison gave the Sheriff no response. The hunter kept his eyes locked to the embers of the fire, while stirring them with a stick in order to revive the flames. After a long moment of silence, Daryl assumed Addison had left. But, after a long moment of silence during which Daryl's eyes never left the recently stirred fire, a shadow crossed his peripheral field of vision; his eyes quickly turned to his left side, finding no one other than Addison, who was now sitting just a few feet from him. Although her dark hair covered a great part of her face, Daryl could see that her eyes were focusing on the fire and she was biting her lips. The light of the flame tainted her skin with a warmer tone, despite her still looking hauntingly pale and Daryl felt something stir inside him, feeling that made him shift in his seat.

"You know I'm staying, right?"

The woman's voice broke the silence in a passive, yet cold tone; her face, though, was still unalterable. Daryl simply looked at her, trying to show his most impassible expression while he waited for her to continue.

"Can you please make an effort to put up with my presence?"

What the hell was she talking about? Did he honestly give away the impression of being such a hostile human being? She wasn't exactly his favourite person in the world, but he wasn't exactly plotting her death or anything like that.

Instead of expressing his confusion, Daryl muttered a simple "Fine." and, in return, Addison repeated the word in the same lifeless way he had.

Silence settled in between them once more, while Addison gazed the outskirts of the prison with the same impassible face she had before and Daryl kept on stirring the fire, although it was already burning again.

"You never told me why you told Annie that you'd... accompany me." Addison's voice was low and almost a whisper, but in the quietude of that night, Daryl had no problem in hearing her.

Lifting his gaze, the light haired man found Addison's dark eyes looking straight at him while she waited for his answer. When he didn't respond, her teeth took a hold of her lips and her eyes diverted to the ground, biting them in what seemed to be regret. In Daryl's stomach, was that strange and warm feeling again. _Damn it_, did she even know what she was doing?

"She's…" Once the woman heard Daryl, her attention turned back to him and the man was overtaken by the truly curious look on her face. "… innocent."

The woman standing beside him didn't answer right away, which made him question his words. What kind of answer was that? Daryl didn't have exactly the ease most people had with words, but was that honestly the best he could do?

But, much to his surprise, Addison nodded, signaling that she had understood him. "You wanted to protect it… her innocence, I mean." To the sound of her reply, the younger Dixon simply shrugged while keeping his eyes fixed on that strange woman that was now looking at him openly, her eyes filled with nothing but curiosity.

"She's a kid, y'know? She doesn't deserve this fucked up world…"

Deep down, Addison wanted to ask him _'Do _we_? Does anyone deserve this fucked up world?'_, but he was trying and she was trying and because of the effort they were putting on it, she decided against it and a simple "yeah" escaped her lips.

With a deep and loud sigh, Addison left herself slide off her seat and was now sitting on the grass, with her head resting on the bench. Her eyes were now fixed onto the starless sky and her bare neck was illuminated by the fire while her face remained in the shadows. Her chest moved at a steady and peaceful pace as she breathed and her skin looked like some polished white stone. "Did you have kids? Before all of this."

"No."

"Siblings?"

Addison's sudden bombardment of questions was incredibly unexpected and Daryl had no idea why she was inquiring him about those things, but he tried not to question it.

"I have… _had _a brother." He pronounced the word _had _in a rather somber manner, while diverted his eyes from the woman. Mentioning Merle – even if it was just lightly – made him uncomfortable, especially because he had no specific idea of what had happened to him.

"Younger?"

"Older." He simply answered. Something in his voice made Addison straighten her back and look at him. "Merle was my big brother." Then, Addison completely turned to him, genuinely interested in his words. The look on her face made him less uncomfortable with the whole subject of Merle and, unlike he would've usually done, Daryl answered her questions with a slight ease.

"What was he like?"

"He pretty much raised me… but that didn't make him less of an idiot."

Addison felt an urge to ask about his parents, to find out the reason to why Merle raised him and she also wanted to know why Daryl considered his brother an idiot. Surprisingly, Addison found herself wanting to know everything about that strange blue eyed man, but she decided not to question him. It was obvious Daryl was a reserved person, like she was, and it probably was a miracle that she got him to answer all those questions. Instead, she returned to her previous position and locked her eyes on the black night sky.

After a while, Daryl broke the silence once more. "And you?"

"What about me?"

Poking the embers a couple more times, Daryl asked, "Did you have any kids before this?". She had started it, so it was only fair if he had his turn as well.

"Kids? No."

"Siblings?" Addison faced Daryl once again and, once again, he looked at her without glancing away. His expression was soft and her eyes seemed plain and simply curious and, while she spoke, his blue eyes never left hers. It was… intense.

"Two brothers." Seeing that Daryl did nothing but patiently wait for her to continue, while still looking at her, Addison resumed her answer. "Gabriel and Luke. Both older. I have no idea if Luke's still alive; I hope he is, but I haven't talked to him in a while…"

"What about Gabriel?"

The man's words caught her off guard and made her lower her face in response, while simply whispering "He's been gone for a while now." The woman could feel the tears rushing to her eyes, as her breathing because heavier; she closed her eyes really tightly and inhaled deeply, holding the air in for a few seconds before exhaling loudly.

"Sorry 'bout your brother."

"I'm sorry about yours, too."

A semblance of a smile – that actually looked more like a grimace – played with Daryl's mouth while his eyes kept locked on the woman sitting in the ground, who replied with a shy and sad smile of her own.

"It's late," Daryl said after a handful of seconds. "Gonna go 'n try to get some sleep. You comin'?"

"Yeah."

Instinctively, the man held out his hand to help her get up as soon as he got up. Dumbfounded, Addison hesitantly accepted his offer; her warm hand took a hold of his cold one and Daryl wished he hadn't offered his assistance, for there was that god damned stir in his insides again.

They walked silently to the cell block and climbed the stairs without uttering a word; once they reached the young woman's improvised room, Addison turned to face him with the same hesitance she had grabbed his hand just a few minutes before. Their eyes locked once more and they both stood in silence for a few seconds; words didn't really seem to be their strongest point.

Daryl nodded at her, and he was about to head out to his bed when Addison did something that got him stunned.

Closing the distance between them with one step, Daryl did nothing but stand there, rooted to the spot as he watched the brunette lean forward.

It didn't last more than a couple of seconds, but the feeling of her lips over his made Daryl's heart jumped a beat or two with the unexpected gesture and he forgot he had to breathe for a moment. And he wasn't any less astonished when Addison took a small step back and all but whispered "goodnight" before turning her back to him and disappearing into the darkness of her very own cell.

Daryl seemed to have lost his ability to move, although his brain appeared to be working more than ever. Did Addison's lips accidentally brush against his? She could've been aiming for his cheek, right? Or did she actually mean to kiss him? What the fuck? However, the youngest Dixon was even more surprised when – already lying in his bed – he found out that a small part of him wished she hadn't pulled away so quickly.

_Damn it._

* * *

**A/N:** _Title is a reference to Bob Dylan's song, "Beyond the Horizon", which is the song I've imagined Beth would sing..._


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